Will He Remember
by batbaby
Summary: What if when Peeta is rescued, he finds Katniss to be pregnant and draws out his memories? Rated M for sex scenes, set during Mockingjay
1. Chapter 1

I wasn't sure how well this was going to go. They said he had been captured by the Capitol, tortured by them, by Snow. At first, every time someone had even mentioned my name, his eyes went wild and he said horrible things. After a week, they had me talk to him through a glass separator and he gave me dirty looks, called me names. I was always already sitting in place when he arrived and didn't get up until he left. We tried that two more times before I couldn't take it anymore.

Yet they insisted I see him now. He had been here a whole month already and he wasn't saying bad things anymore. He had even made the cake for Finnick and Annie's wedding, though he hadn't been there to see their happy expressions. They also hadn't told him that his lie became the truth. He would see in a few minutes, see for himself. But would he remember that it was him who did it?

The light gray walls never seemed so long. Unending really. Even in my condition, I usually flew through these hallways. Finally, what seemed hours later, I was at the door to the room that held him. Haymitch was waiting, hands clasped behind his back, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"He is better today, Sweetheart. The last three times we brought your name up, he only said, 'I loved her, right?' " The thought that he may not anymore hit me right in the gut. I felt the tears pool in my eyes, blinked them away quickly. They came too easily these last few months. Haymitch patted me on the shoulder, "He'll remember. The doctors have made a lot of progress over the last week alone. Gotta keep in mind, the Capitol had him for almost..."

"Five months. Trust me, I know." I gripped the handle and pushed open the door.

There he was, sitting on his plain, hospital-white bed, furiously sketching away in a notebook. He wasn't in restraints, but they were attached to the bed, ready to be used again at any time. When he looked up, all I saw at first were those bright blue eyes that surprised me in the mud in our first round of the Games. Then, as I looked at his face, I saw the dark circles under those eyes, fading yellowish-green bruises on his arms, and a red line across his neck. He'd been through so much and he had been by himself.

"I heard they were going to let you draw again." I didn't know where to start. I really wanted to run to him, hold him, smell him, but was much too afraid of what he would do. He just looked at me, his eyes hadn't gotten past my face yet. His eyes got wide. He looked mad at first, but I watched as his gaze dropped, until, yep, he saw it.

"Is that? Are you pregnant?" He pointed with a slightly shaky finger, his hands were laden with fresh scars. I could only nod in acknowledgement. "Is it mine?"

"Of course it's yours, Peeta." I needed to sit down. "Will you hurt me if I sit next to you? My legs have been shaking since they told me I would see you without the glass window."

He shook his head and scooted as far to the top of the bed as he could. They warned me that getting too close too soon might start something, but I felt as though I was going to collapse. I sat at the other end of the bed, but put one leg up on the bed to face him easier. I ran my hand over my belly, "Oddly enough, this happened the same night you told everyone I was pregnant. Go figure, huh?"

Peeta looked down at my belly, where his baby was. He reached his hand out for a second and then quickly snapped it back at his side. I knew he wanted to feel it, make sure it was real. "I didn't know we...I don't remember that."

Tears stung my eyes again. "I wasn't sure that you would, but believe me, I've never been with anyone but you. It's okay though, I'm not surprised that you don't. They told me that they altered a lot, messed with a lot of your memories of me."

"When you were on tv, you weren't pregnant. Is that why you were always already sitting down when we did talk? Why are you crying?" He sounded so far away, not like the once sweet Boy with the Bread.

I wiped away my tears. He just continued to watch me, stayed very still, but his face was riddled with confusion. "I'm sorry. It happens a lot nowadays. I partly blame you." I say with a nervous smile, hoping he would get the joke there. The curve of his lip tells me he did, as I rub my belly again. "My mother says it's the hormones and everything I've been through. But you've been through so much more."

"I don't want to talk about that." He looked away at the wall.

"Okay, that's fine. Ummm, yeah, they filmed me before I started to show, when I still fit into the Mockingjay costume. They just kept running it over and over with different backrounds to make it look like I hadn't really changed, they didn't want Snow to know that I was pregnant with your child. Is there anything else you want to ask me?" I so wanted to take his hand, feel some part of him. He looked back at me,

"When did you find out?" He asked, pointing at my stomach.

"Well, from what they told me, I was out a few days. I guess a few weeks after we were together, I started throwing up, couldn't hold anything down. I had missed my periods before, from not eating enough, so I didn't think it was anything to worry about until...until Prim said something."

"Were you happy? Are you happy to be carrying it?"

"Honestly, I was really scared at first. I never wanted kids before and still wasn't sure...until I felt the baby kick for the first time a couple of months ago. Then I was happy that I had some part of you in me. That some part of you would live on."

"You thought I was dead?" He looked so wounded by the words.

"No one knew what happened to you until two months ago when you popped up on television. I was afraid for so many reasons, but mainly that you would never even know that I was pregnant. Peeta.." I shifted myself a little closer and he put his back up against the wall. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't. I'll go now."

I got up, had my hand on the doorknob, when he said, "You didn't answer my question. Are you happy to be carrying it?"

I turned to him and replied, "Yes, I am happy that I'm carrying your baby."

And I walked out. Haymitch was waiting against the wall across from the door. He didn't ask me anything, how it went, was I hurt in any way. He put his hand out and I took it as he walked me back to my room.

Once I was safely shut away in my room, I started the shower. My mother and Prim were still in some part of the hospital, leaving me alone, which was perfect. I undressed and stepped into the warm flow of water and let the tears that had accumulated come out. I leaned against the wall so I wouldn't fall over. Rubbing my belly, I declared to whomever was in there, "You're father will remember that I love him. That I fell in love with him because of how good a person he is and how much better a person he makes me. I'll make him remember me!"


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, I took my pearl out from it's hiding spot in my drawer in the parachute. Rolling it between my fingers, I think of what I want to say to Peeta today. If the doctors will even let me see him again so soon. I tuck the pearl away and go to his room. The doctors have a make-shift office adjacent to his, with a one-sided mirror to observe him. I knock on their door first and a young nurse opens it widely when she sees it's me.

"Good morning Katniss. How are you feeling today?" She sounds too perky, I wonder if she annoys Peeta too. "Yesterday went better than planned, huh?"

"Yeah. Umm, could I talk to his doctors?" I ask, looking over her shoulders, into the mirror. Peeta is sitting with one doctor, watching a tv replaying the Games we were in. It's coming up to the part where I found out we could go home together and yelled out his name.

"Well, we'll wait until he's done with Dr. Quintin and see after that. You can stay if you like, or we'll come get you in an hour or so?" She really is too happy for it being so early.

"I haven't eaten yet, so I'll do that and then come back up. Hopefully they'll be done." I let myself out and go to the cafeteria.

I load up my tray with oatmeal, scrambled eggs, toast and milk, as if I wouldn't be hungry in two hours anyway. Looking for somewhere to sit, I see Johanna is out of the hospital. She is eating well for someone who seemed to be starved while in capivity. I stand in front of her and ask, "Is it okay if I sit with you?"

Looking up from her own tray of food, she smiles, "Course, Mockingjay."

I set my tray down and she snorts, "Think you have enough food there?"

"Yeah, well, eating for two has it's drawbacks. When did they let you out?" I start spooning the eggs onto my toast.

"Late last night. It's funny how the food is so nasty in the hospital wing compared to the real stuff. Wonder why they have to make it so bland." She just smiles as I shovel oatmeal into my mouth and follow it quickly with the eggs. Once I've swallowed that, I reply,

"My mother told me once it's because your stomach is usually pretty sensitive after you've been ill, so they give you little bits of blah food to get your stomach used to it." She nods, and just watches me for a moment.

"Have you seen Peeta?"

"Yea, last night. I went to see him now, but the doctor was with him and I told them I'd be back after breakfast."

"What was his reaction to the baby?" She leans on her elbows on the table, nibbling on some of her toast.

I finish what's in my mouth, "I won't say he wasn't surprised. He doesn't remember us being together though. I didn't think he would, but still…"

"It stung?" During the Quell, she made it sound like she had no one, but there must have been someone awhile ago. I just nod in response. I finish eating, taking my time.

I'm starting to get nervous again as I look at my empty plate. What am I going to tell him? I have no idea what memories they tainted. Maybe just the ones they had of me from the Games, from the Victory tour. What lies did they tell him about me? He knew that during the first Games I didn't love him back the way he would have liked, but no one could have known what happened in my room the night before the Quarter Quell, right? I look at Johanna, who is just sitting there, no where to go apparently.

"Do you know if they had our rooms bugged during the Games?" She looks at me with her puppy-brown eyes and shakes her head slowly.

"I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't put it past them. They know an awful lot and knew what to hurt us with while we were there." It seems as though she's looking through me, but I know she's remembering what they did to her and the others.

"I'm sorry, we don't have to talk about it."

"No, they didn't hurt me like they hurt Peeta. Remember when I told you I had no one I cared about?" I just nod my head, letting her continue. "I meant it. With Peeta, they used mainly you against him. I could hear them sometimes saying how much he must love you, because they would have to use the same tainted memory over and over again. The first time he saw you on television after they used so much trackervenom on him, he went ballistic. Are you sure you want to hear this? You look like you're going to throw up?"

"I'm not. I won't. I'm done with the morning sickness anyway."

"You know that's not what I'm talking about, Katniss. Maybe we should go somewhere else and talk about this." Johanna starts to get up but waits for me before throwing her plates and trays in the correct spots.

"Come on, I've found a half dozen places to hide from anybody." We walk away from the cafeteria and I take her to a small room that I think was used as a classroom sometime, but hasn't been used since I've arrived. Once I've settled into a somewhat comfortable seat, "Tell me what happened?"

"Well, I really have no idea how long it was before they captured us and really started to torture us, it's not like there was anything but this dim light in the cells."

"Cell?"

"Yeah. It was a jail of some sort. All of us in different cells, and we could see each other. But they took us away separatly to torment us. When someone would come back, there'd be new cuts, bruises, burns…" I winced at this, but motioned for her to keep going. "They gave us very little to eat at first and then less and less as time went on. I knew when you would bother him, Snow, because his little worker bees would be especially mean on those days."

"I'm so sorry! If I had known…"

"What would you have done? Make a trade with one of us? No, Coin would never have let that happen. Besides, Peeta didn't know anything about what was going on anymore than you did. Us adults took that one on." She scratched her buzzed-cut head where the hair was growing back in odd patches.

"Ouch. I may not be an adult yet, but someone could have told us. Maybe we would have figured out something different and all of us would have been here the whole time, planning on how to overthrow the Capitol and kill Snow." I resent being made to look like a child when I was the one who fed my family and I was the one who survived not one but two Hunger Games.

"Doesn't matter. What happened happened and we can't change that. Do you still want to see Peeta? Think they'll let me in there?" Wow, way to change the topic. She had to help me up from where I was sitting on the floor. My legs fell asleep under the added weight.

"I don't know, guess we can always ask." We start walking towards the floor where he's at when I say to her, "Thanks for the new scar by the way." Pointing to the arm where she dug out the tracker.

"Oh yeah, no biggie." I may not have liked Johanna before, but I do now. She's nothing if not honest and I appreciate that when so many others have been lying to me in the last two years. Walking with her doesn't make the trip seem so daunting and long. She talks about missing the trees back home and some 'hot guy' she had slept with before the Quell. When she sees how red I get after she's done talking about him, she laughs and says, "You're knocked up and you're shy just hearing about sex? Wow, you are pure. Well, you were." She jokes, poking my belly.

"Hey now, it was the first time for both of us. I just knew even less then him is all. Course, he had older brothers to tell him about that kind of stuff."

"I bet they were pretty cute too, huh?" She jabbed me with her elbow. I just shook my head,

"I guess. I never really paid attention to any of them except to know that they all wrestled and they were really good."

"Oh yeah, the whole baker thing. Funny how that saved him long enough for you to find him the first time around."

"Not funny….smart. He knows how to survive in his own way. I think that's why he's drawing again, to get the memories out, maybe figure out which ones are true." I think about that for a minute and the light goes on in my head! "I know what to talk to him about now! Thanks Johanna!"

"Ummm, okay." I leave her standing in a random hallway in the hospital wing, running as fast as I can to his room. I hope she knows her way around some.


	3. Chapter 3

I come skidding to a halt when I get to his hallway, where I see that he is out of his room, escorted by one big male nurse, a guard and has padded handcuffs on. His eyes widen for a moment and then settle at the sight of my labored breathing. He reaches out with both hands and one of the men stop him, so he just puts them back in front of himself. "Why were you running? Won't that hurt the baby?"

"Can….we ….sit somewhere?" I wheeze out, I shouldn't have run through those last two hallways, but I was too excited. He looks at his guards and they just motion back to his room. I follow them in and take a seat at one end of the bed while he does the same at the other, just like the night before. I try to catch my breath, fully aware of all three men watching me. Peeta seems concerned which is a step in the right direction.

"Should I get the doctor Miss Everdeen?" The nurse asks me. I just shake my head and hold up my finger.

"Just…a ….minute." I take two more breaths and I feel okay, but the baby didn't care too much for that and is kicking up a storm. "Oh wow, your baby knows how to hit."

Peeta looks down at where my hands have rested on my sides. I lift up my shirt enough so he can see my stomach and obviously see where the baby is moving. He puts his hands out again, but of course the guard stops him.

"It's okay, he can touch me. It's his baby." I look at Peeta, hold my hand out to him, "Really. It's okay, I think you should feel him or her. Whatever the baby is, it's got a strong kick."

He leans forward on the bed, and gently puts his hands to my tummy. I take his hands and move them slightly to the side, "There, much better."

The baby gives a final kick, one that Peeta would never be able to deny is real. His eyes get wide and looks at me with a shy smile. "That's my baby?"

He sounds so young and innocent. I wish he had been there when I found out, with the first kick, and every night since the Quell had started. Damn Snow for taking all that away from him! From taking Peeta away from me! I keep myself from crying yet again by answering, "Yep, that's your baby. Our baby."

He pulls his hands away and I lower my shirt. He goes back to his corner on the bed, but faces me this time. "Thank you."

"For what? Guys, do you think you could take those off of him? He didn't have them on last night and we were just fine." The guard gives me a dirty look but the male nurse just nods his head, "Yeah, sure. We'll be right outside the door though."

"Thank you." Once the handcuffs are removed and they leave, Peeta just rubs his wrists. "So, what was it that you were thanking me for exactly?"

He looks up, those blue eyes confused for a moment but soft. "That you trust me enough to let me touch you. The baby."

"Peeta, this baby is half you whether you like it or not and I think that you should be able to enjoy some part of it." I turn myself on the bed, one leg up on it.

"I'm sorry I haven't been here for it." He looks down, as if any of what happened is his fault.

"No, shouldn't be sorry for any of it, Peeta!" I scream out. I startle him and his eyes go wide from fear, anger. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

I put my hands up as if surrendering. "I'm not mad at you Peeta, I promise. I'm mad that Snow caught you before they could get you out, I'm mad that no one told us what was going on but most of all, I'm mad that you can't remember what happened with us because….because, you mean everything to me, Peeta. I didn't know that before, in the first Games, I kind of felt it during the tour, and as much as I didn't care for the training part for the Quell, I knew that it was you who I trusted more than anyone and that I would always want to be with you and I love you. I just need to figure out how to get you to remember that."

I get up and start to pace, which isn't saying very much because the room is small and only has the bed and a nightstand really. I unconsciously rub my stomach, something I do when I am nervous, anxious, you name it, the belly gets rubbed. I look at him, trying to figure out what he might be thinking, but his face seems so different and yet the same. Hardened unfortunately not by age, but by sadness and hurt. He watchs me go back and forth for a minute, and then grabs his notebook, turning to a particular page in it. Holding it up for me to see, he asks,

"Did this happen?" I look at it and have to sit on the bed to really look at it. It is a drawing of us, in the cave. Well, me in the cave, his arm wrapped around me as I slept. I smile and I could see that this makes him happy, well, happier.

"Yes, that was when we were in the cave in the first Games. After I had gotten you the medicine that healed the blood poisoning from the cut on your leg."

"After I told you not to and you drugged me?" I give a humble smile and nod. "And this was because of the mutts?" He asked, putting the notebook down and pulling up his pantleg to show his prosethic. I nod again. He lets the pantleg drop back down and flips to another page in the notebook. It was me as a little girl, from when he said he first fell in love with me. Even though it's in black and white, he somehow got the pattern on the dress just right and my hair in the two braids to look perfect. "This is you, right?"

"You told me that that was when you fell in love with me, after you heard me sing." I could feel the blush rising on my face. "I didn't believe you because we were so young and I had no idea you even noticed me until…."

"….The bread in the rain?" The look on his face made me think he was in some kind of pain.

"Yes. Are you okay?" I reached out to him again, but stopped short. His eyes were closed, lips pursed, he was trying to remember, sort things through. When he opened his eyes, there were tears in them. "They couldn't touch these because they were never on any kind of film. I just didn't know if they were real."

"Well, we can try something. You show me a picture and I'll tell you where it's from, if I know it, what happened, that sort of thing."

"If it's real or not?" He starts flipping through again and I gasp at it. It was me, but I was holding a knife over him. It looked like we were still in the cave. The edges were fuzzy though, not solid like the other two drawings he showed me. "This one isn't, is it? It's cloudy."

"No, it's not real. Well, not me anyway. That looks like what Clove did to me when I went to get the medicine, when Thresh let me go. What do you mean, cloudy?" I didn't want to look at this one anymore, I looked mean and like I was enjoying the pain that was going to come, but he touched the page, the edges of it.

"See here?" I nod as he traces the outline with his fingers, "You're face is blurry like when I had the hallucinations from the trackerjackers in the first Games. It was shiny almost and I couldn't tell what was true or not. But the other two, you can see the difference, can't you?"

"Yeah, I see them. And I know what you're talking about, with the venom because I was stung that morning too. You told me to run."

"Why'd you drop them on me?" He begins to flip through again, he has drawn a lot of pictures in the last few weeks since I had seen him.

"It wasn't just on you. It was the Careers and you were with them. I didn't know that you were actually protecting me from them. I didn't know much until I found you in the mud." His head snapped up at that and he flew through the pages quickly.

"This is real then?" A picture of us by the stream where I found him and cleaned him up. It was Peeta's point of view for sure, looking over his feet, watching me fill canteens with water and washing his clothes.

"Yes, real. You were caked in mud and I had to get you clean. You insisted that you didn't mind being naked in front of me…" I tried to sound like it didn't bother me, but he knew better.

"But you didn't like that. Kind of a prude aren't you?" His lip curled up, lighting up those blue eyes. I just shook my head,

"Yeah, well, you said it was me being pure and that you liked it." I could tell he was getting a lot from this and I was thrilled that he was going along with this when the door opened. He dropped the book and just looked at the doctor who came in.

"You're okay, Peeta. This is working for you and Katniss is probably the only one who can tell you about most of these pictures. I just want to check your vitals, if that's okay?" I stand up and he pats my shoudler, "No, no, you sit. This won't take long. Peeta, your arm please?"

He sticks his arm out, lets the doctor do what he has to as he checks his pressure and eyes. He listens to his heart and smiles, "You seem a little excited, you're pressure's a little higher, but I think you'll be fine. Katniss, Peeta, I'll come back in an hour or so, maybe we can all get some lunch?"

"I'm pretty much always hungry now," I watch Peeta smile at this statement. It doesn't truly reach his eyes, but it's still a step in the right direction. When he doctor leaves us, I can see the guard sulking across the hall when the door closes on him. "Well, are there some more pictures you want to go through?"

"Actually, a question first." He picks up the book again, aimlessly going through the pages. "The night we were together, did you tell me you loved me?"

"Yes, I did." My voice is low, though I'm sure why.

"Did you mean it?" I look up at his blue eyes, they seem darker right now. He's also stopped fiddling with the book.

"Of course."

"But you lied about it before?" His hands were shaking just a bit.

"Yes, during the first Games, I played along with it to get sponsors, food, medicine. To survive."

"So, how do I know you weren't lying then, or lying now?"

"Because I didn't even know how to love back then. I knew during the tour, the small things that you did, held me together after the nightmares, those things built up and I knew that I was falling in love with you. And sometimes when we were kissing….I wanted more sometimes." I was blushing again, but I wanted him to know everything, even if there were other people listening to us on the other side of the mirror.

"I think I probably always wanted more." He snorted. I giggle at this and his eyebrows scrunch together.

"From what I hear from Johanna, guys always want more." He laughs. It was probably the first time he's done it since being caught by Snow because it seems to startle him. He goes back to the notebook, finds what he wants and turns it to me. It's me again, as if he's looking down at me. I have a smile on my face, eyes clearly looking at him. I'm not sure, because I didn't see my face, but I think it's from our one night together. "Is that? What is this from?"

"You have to tell me. I just know that it's you and when I drew it, I felt good." He flips to the next page, "I drew this right after."

Yep, it was our night together. He's drawn me in all my glory, hair spread out in ripples on a pillow, arms raised as if I was waiting for someone to be in them, waiting for him to be in them. There's a slight smile on my lips, which look swollen, maybe from all the kissing? How is it that my eyes look like they're twinkling when it's in black and white and shades of gray? It goes lower, to my breasts that look like two ripe melons really, nipples hard and ready to be touched, down my flat stomach. He had the decency not to go further with the image of me. He has a talent that has been wasted on terrors from before.

"Well, I think it's from our night before the Quarter Quell. I can only know what you looked like, really." He thinks about this, realizing that it would be impossible for me to see myself from that angle. He nods, closing the book. "That's it, no more?"

"No, there's a lot more, but I'm kind of tired. That's a lot to go through. I have a lot to think about." He puts the notebook on the nightstand and looks back at me. "Can you go please?"

I'm a little hurt by the request, but he has gotten a lot of information in the last half hour or so. I start to get up, bracing myself on the bed rail when he stands up and holds out his hand. I look at him and put mine in it and he helps me up. Once up, my belly is almost touching him and I lean in a bit. He steps back though and I know I've gone too far. "I'm sorry. I'll go now, can I come back later?"

"I think they said I could go to the cafeteria for lunch later, maybe I can sit with you then?"

I go to the door, open it and turn back, "Of course, Peeta."


	4. Chapter 4

I find Johanna watching some of the newer soldiers training. She isn't mad at me for just leaving her there, especially when I explain what I had figured out.

"So, he just started showing you the drawings? Just like that?" She sounds unconvinced, "Are you sure this wasn't the plan all along?"

"Maybe it was, but so what? He's finding out what he needs to know and I get to talk to him. Haymitch told me he saw him the first day and Peeta punched him. He didn't tell me that for three days, saying he had walked into a door! That's the kind of stuff the wives who were beaten by their husbands used to say." I'm not sure if I don't believe that this was the plan all along. Maybe they were using me again, keeping me in the dark, using my pregnancy as a way to play my sympathy. It's not like I really trust any of the people in charge anyway. I haven't for a very long time. "Will you sit with me at lunch too?"

"This should be interesting. I don't think he'll like me much either, but then again, not many people do."

"Well, I'll be honest, I didn't at first, but I do now. You're one of the few people who actually tells me anything." She just nods her head, as if she's known this for awhile.

We still have an hour and a half before lunch will be served to us, so we go to visit Beetee in the meadow with the hummingbirds. I show Johanna the special bow and arrows he's made me. It's when he brings out a special case for her that she really gets excited. A beautiful ax all for her. The handle has been handcarved with detailing that would only make sense to her. The head made of steel is really quite pretty, though obviously lethal. We go to the target area to practice a bit. My aim is a little off because of my belly while she hasn't thrown an ax since training before the Quell. We have fun anyway and are laughing on our way into the cafeteria.

I do a quick scan when we're in line, but there's no sign of Peeta and his detail yet. We sit at an empty table, but make sure there's a few chairs left as well. I face the doorway, wanting to make sure he sees me when he comes in. I'm in the middle of eating my beef stew when he comes up to us with the same two guys from earlier and he has the manacles on again. I give him a smile and he sets his tray down across from mine, choosing to sit in between us.

"Well, you look a hellava lot better than the last time I saw you." Johanna is really nothing if not blunt.

"I'd say the same about you, but you're hair is bugging me." He says, no smile on his face or anything. She just shrugs her shoulders and goes back to eating. Peeta leans towards me and whispers, even though Johanna can probably still hear him, "I never much got along with her to start with."

I just nod my head. They don't have to like each other, just so long as they don't fight or anything. "Were you able to rest after I left?"

"A little, but I spent most of the time drawing more." He tells me and starts to slowly eat his food.

"Anything of me in that notebook of yours?" I shoot her an dirty look and she just says, "What?"

"It's fine, she already knew I was drawing. I drew pictures on the floor in the cell." He replies and just continues eating his stew. I'm wondering if he was given the same bland food as Johanna, but think not because he wasn't exactly in the same hospital wing as her. Plus, he looks like he may have gained a little bit of weight since the last time I saw him behind the glass window. "How did you draw? With what I mean?" I think I already know the answer but have to ask anyway.

"Mostly my blood." I stop chewing what I just put in my mouth and swallow the food down hard. I had figured correctly. "But they stopped making me bleed when they found those."

"I don't think you should talk about that here, Mr. Mellark." The guard warns him. "People are trying to eat."

"Right, sorry."

"No, I asked, I should be the one who's sorry." I drink my milk, watching him as he scoops up the sauce on the plate with his bread. His knuckles have scars on them and there's a burn across the back of one hand. It looks like something he'd get from baking, but I doubt that it was. "Will I be able to come back to your room with you after lunch?"

Before he can answer himself, the male nurse replies, "No, you can go to the meadow downstairs. The doctors think it'd be best if he gets to see something other than his room or the cafeteria."

"Oooo, you should like that Peeta. It's really pretty, reminds me of the one back home before you get to the fence." He looks down at his empty plate, then back up, his blue eyes somber.

"Is it still there? I was told District 12 was bombed and that a lot of people were killed, including my family." He plays with his cup of milk, waiting for my answer. My honest answer.

"It was bombed and the meadow is now barren. But the one downstairs reminds me of what it used to look like with all the flowers and there's even bugs buzzing around too." I lower my voice, out of respect or shame, I'm not sure, "And, yes, your family was killed."

He just nods and starts to get up. Both Johanna and I follow and we all put our dirty dishes and trays away in their proper places. We're all in the hallway, on our way to the meadowroom when Gale rounds a corner with another soldier. He seems pretty surprised to see Peeta, apparently no one had told him he was allowed to be about. What surprises me is that out of the corner of my eye, I see Peeta clench his fists tight, curling into his handcuffs it seems. As far as I know, they had never really spoken, so I'm not sure what this is all about.

"Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute," Gale says to the soldier, patting him on the shoulder. Even though he's looking directly at Peeta, he asks me, "Hey Catnip, how are things?"

"Ummm, just fine. We're going to show Peeta the meadow downstairs." He just nods his head, glancing at me.

"You do know it's rude to stare, right?" Peeta questions, his voice a little deeper, maybe to match Gale's. He seems annoyed, but the shifting off his feet tell me that Gale is making him uncomfortable, which is making me mad.

"Just surprised you're out is all." He leans in close to Peeta and claims, "If you hurt her, I'll kill you."

Peeta takes a step back, making the guard step closer. His eyes widen, nose flares a little. Johanna pulls me to the side just a bit, just in case. "I wouldn't hurt her! I wouldn't hurt my own baby!"

"You better not, Bread Boy."

"Gale you should go." I interrupt, putting my hand on Peeta's arm, hoping it would calm him down somehow.

"Just watching out for you, Catnip, that's all." But he starts on his way to the cafeteria. I look at Peeta, who's slowly uncurling his fists and take my hand off of his arm.

"Do you still want to go with us downstairs?" I ask quietly, his eyes are closed and when he opens them, he looks at me and replies,

"Yes. I think we should go see the flowers." He smiles just a bit, nervous.


	5. Chapter 5

We go downstairs without further interruption and Beetee welcomes us. "I've been hoping you would come down to see me soon, Peeta. I don't have your gift ready yet, but it will be soon."

"Gift?" He looks at us curiously and Johanna skips away to find her ax. When she sprints back with it, Peeta's eyes widen and he shrinks away from it.

"Beetee makes everybody something that has to do with the talent that we showed in the Games. Mine's an ax of course. He made Katniss a bow and arrows, some explode on contact." She says excitedly, sounding like a child almost. I don't think I've ever seen her smile so much and it's nice. She turns away and looking over her shoulder, says, "I'm going to go practice. You two have fun. Play nice."

Beetee wheels himself away as well. It's just the guard and nurse left to chaperon us. I go to the nurse, seeing as he seems to understand Peeta's moods a little better, "Can you take the cuffs off please? He has been really good."

"He almost hit that guy upstairs, I saw that. Don't pretend like you didn't." The guard weighs in.

"Well, I wanted to hit him too, but no one hit anyone else, so can the cuffs come off please?" I admit. Peeta just watches me, probably wondering if I'm lying or not. The nurse nods his approval, and the guard reluctantly does so. They leave us alone to the meadow.

I pick a spot right in the middle and try to manuver myself down. Peeta sees that I'm struggling and puts his hands out, though isn't sure how to help exactly. "Just hold my hands so I don't fall flat on my butt, please."

He smiles and helps brace me so I can sit down. At first he just stands there, looking around. Then he closes his eyes and listens. To what, I'm not exactly sure, but when you're that still, you can hear the bees buzzing and the slight wind that is from the vents blowing over the grass and flowers. He opens his eyes, looks down at me. They're a bottomless blue now, and he's calm. He pulls his notebook from his back pocket and sits down across from me.

"I know why I wanted to hit Gale, but why would you want to hit him?" He questions. He starts to flip through his book. "He kissed you before, right?"

"Which do you want me to answer first?" I don't like the second question much, but I'll answer it anyway. He just shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders as if it doesn't matter to which one I clarify. "I wanted to hit him because he was upsetting you and he had no reason to."

"He's afraid I'll hurt you." Well, that's true.

"But I know you won't." He looks up at my face again, searching for something, I don't know what.

"How do you know that? I've seen myself, they recorded how I was when I first got here. I could have killed you." More honesty.

I put my hands on my belly, over his baby. "But you haven't. You haven't even really touched me besides to help me get up and down. Whatever the Capitol did to you hasn't stuck because I'm pretty sure you were meant to find me and kill me. Am I right?"

He looks down, playing with the corner of a page and whispers, "Yes."

"Then why haven't you?" I'm shocked that I've asked this and his head snaps up.

"I couldn't….I can't. When I actually saw you without the glass last night and that you're pregnant too? I couldn't." His eyes are worried. I slowly put my hands out, lay them on top of his.

"I'm not saying that you should of course, just surprised you haven't tried it is all. Did they tell you to kill Haymitch too? Is that why you hit him?" I'm amazed that he hasn't made me move my hands or moved his either yet.

"No. I hit him because he took you away from me." When I look at his face, I know he's being truthful and he pulls his hands away. "He told me that he was in on the rescue mission, that they meant for me to come too, but he said you were the one people looked to, I was just always the one good with words."

"You are more than just good with words…"He puts his hand up to stop me.

"No, I could get people to believe me with the talking, but you were still the person they looked to because of the things you actually did. You are their symbol, the Mockingjay. It's fine, I was fine being the talker. I was just mad because he took you from me. He deserved it." The last words came out so calm and sounded like my Peeta, that I had to laugh.

"Yeah, he does deserve to be hit sometimes. I attacked him when he told me what happened, that's why he has scars on his face." I smile, though remembering how angry I was, it doesn't stay on my face long. "They sedated me after that too."

"Seems to be their answer for anything violent around here." He starts flipping through the pages again. "What about kissing Gale?"

"Yes, a total of three times." I see him raise his eyebrows, but he says nothing. "I thought the last time we had kissed, I would feel something more, but I didn't. I never felt the same as when I kissed you."

This grabs his attention more fully. He stops flipping but doesn't look at me. "Peeta? Peeta, do you want to show me some pictures now?"

"Sure." He flips around, towards the middle of the almost full notebook. He turns it to me and I blush right away.

"I think you remember our night pretty well, judging by what you've drawn." It's me again, in the shower it looks like. I'm standing under the water, my hair covering my back, hands up against the wall. I remember that I had gotten in first and when I had turned around, Peeta was just watching me. When he had gotten in after a minute, he just kept telling me how beautiful I was while kissing _every_ part of me. I take a deep breath in and start, "After we had finished making love that one night, we took another shower and fell asleep in each other's arms."

"Didn't we have a go in the shower too?" His cheeks are slighty flushed, but no where near the redness I can feel all over my body.

"Well, you remember just fine." I start rubbing my belly again out of a sheer case of the jitters.

"Is the baby moving again?" I look up at him and he seems excited. He also hasn't turned the page yet, making the memories of that night flood in.

"No, I just always seem to be stroking her or him. Keeps me calm I guess."

"Oh." I'm not sure why the answer has disappointed him, but tell him,

"There is a game I play with the baby." I lift my shirt and feel around, find the spot I need and wave his hand to it. "Tap right there, sometimes the baby will kick back."

He does as I tell him and a wide smile spreads over his face as the baby plays along. His smile is infectious and I can't help but do so also. "Can I do it again?" I just nod and he does this a couple of more times.

"When did you start doing that?" He asks once he has taken his hand away. He takes a pencil out from the binder of the notebook and just starts sketching away. I lean back until I'm laying back on the grass, surrounded by flowers and look at him.

"Just one night, I was up thinking about things and I was rubbing my belly and the baby kicked and I tapped it back and it kicked again. I also found out if I put a flashlight against my belly, the baby will kick at the light too." He doesn't look at me, too busy drawing, but smiles. "Is there anything you want to show me or ask me?"

"Not right now, just stay like that though please."

"I'll apologize now if I fall asleep." He just flashes me another smile and I wonder if he will have to go back to his room or if I can bring him back to mine. I shouldn't even be thinking that since it's so soon since he's even been cleared to go the cafeteria. I train my eyes away from him and look at the ceiling that was painted to look like the sky. Bees buzzing and pencil against paper the only sounds playing their tune in my ears. I know I'll drift off soon, because I feel safe and it's quiet enough.

"Katniss? Katniss?" I hear his voice, not very loud, and turn my head in his direction.

"Hmm?" I look at his face. Blond eyelashes so thick, highlighting those bright blue eyes. Lips full and pink. I want to kiss him so badly.

"Would I be able to hear the baby if my head was on your stomach?" I sit up, obviously surprised by this question. He wants to touch me again. I shrug my shoulders, but lay back down and raise my shirt again. He puts the notebook down and scoots close to me. Getting on his knees, he bends over, puts his hands on either side of me, and lays his curly blond head on my belly. His hair tickles my skin and the warmth of his skin on mine brings back more memories. His hands are so big that they cover most of the front of my swollen stomach. There are callouses there, but at the same time, his skin feels soft and so right against mine. I slowly reach my hand down to his face, giving him time to move if he wants to. He doesn't, so I put my fingers to his forehead and ever so lightly trace down his face to his lips.

When I look into his eyes again, I see the tears ready to spill onto me. "What's wrong? Do you not want me to touch you?"

I start to pull my hand away, but he puts his over it, the tears rolling out freely now, and replies, "I remember. I remembered all of it after seeing you the first time. But I was so confused too."

I start to sit up and he sits up across from me, our knees just barely touching. I take his hands in mine, "Tell me."

"Snow did want me to kill you. He made sure that everything I saw was only from the tapes of the Games, which is the only things he had of you to use. When I saw the one with the knife, it didn't make sense because that isn't your weapon, you love your bow and arrows. He showed me pictures of when Gale had kissed you by the fence. It was weird because it was the same picture over and over again, but they put it in different places to make it seem like you two had kissed all the time. Or like when he told me that you never loved me. I knew that you did, because you told me the night we made love…..you told me five times that night and I know it was true." All of it came out in such a rush that I wasn't sure if I had caught it all. All that mattered was that he knew that I loved him and he remembered.

"Then why did you tell the doctors and Haymitch that you weren't sure if you loved me anymore?"

He squeezed my hands in his until it almost hurt, "Because I wasn't sure if you would still love me after what I had said to you, the names I called you. I only said them because I still had the venom in me, they pumped so much into me." I choke back a sob and pull him to me. When he wraps his arms around me, I start to cry. Not wanting to let him go, I say to him in his ear,

"Do you really think that I would leave you like that? If I hadn't been behind that stupid pane of glass, I probably would have hit you, but it hurt….a lot." I pull back just enough to see his tear-stained face. "They didn't want me to tell about the baby until you were better. They didn't want you to hurt me. But you did anyway."

"I'm so sorry, Katniss! I would never have called you those names ever if it wasn't for Snow…."

"Last night, you said you didn't remember we had been together. Were you lying?" He only nodded his head. "But why?"

"Because I needed to make sure I did remember it right. And I did, according to you."

"When I had left the last night, what did you think about?" I don't want to hear about Snow, he had done enough to Peeta and me and I hate him more now than ever. I've confused Peeta by changing the topic, so I lean in close again and whisper in his ear, "What did you draw?"

"You. It's almost always you." He pulls out of my arms only to reach for the notebook and flips to one of the last pages. It's me again, naked once again, but he has drawn me full with his child in me. How he has done this without having seen me unclothed and pregnant, I'm not sure. He caresses my belly, "You're still beautiful, even more so carrying her."

"What? You think it's a girl?" I look down at his hand and he has placed it over the center.

"I know it is." He leans into my belly, "And I won't ever leave you again."


	6. Chapter 6

Once Peeta has made his declaration, I know in my heart that all will be fine. We stay in the meadow for a while longer. He shows me more pictures, many of which are of me, too many of them with me unclothed.

"I've obviously seen you naked and yet you blush every time I show you how I saw you that night." He isn't making fun of me, just stating the indisputable evidence. I shrug my shoulders,

"I don't know what to tell you. Yes, we saw each other naked, almost that whole night, but it was a long time ago and it was our first time together, well, with anyone really. The only times I ever saw naked bodies was when my mother and Prim would be helping someone and I made sure to leave as soon as possible." I think about when I saw Peeta without his clothes that night and feel the hotness not just in my face, but between my legs too. My voice is very low when I say, "It was different with you though. As scared and nervous as I was, I was excited and thought you were magnificent."

He smiles and leans in, turning his ear to my mouth, "What did you say?" I know now that he is teasing me a little, but I'll go along with it.

"I thought that you were beautiful, okay?" I can't look him in those ocean blue eyes, looking anywhere but at his face. He laughs and takes my hand, tracing little designs into the palm.

"But not anymore?" He doesn't sound hurt, more… playfully curious.

I have to look at him now. He's still smiling and he's so close. I lean towards him and he closes the gap until our lips meet. It's the sweetest kiss I could have ever imagined. Our lips remember each other, tongues meeting up after so much time. I pull away for a second, "I haven't seen anything but your face, now have I?"

"There's the woman I met that night!" He exclaims a little too loudly. I put my hand over his mouth.

"Shush! Peeta, no one needs to hear us!" He laughs against my fingers and pulls it away.

"Who cares? You were a little different that night, not so…..innocent. It was nice." I have to look away from him again, because I know what he's talking about. Once we had starting touching each other in places no one ever had before, I relied on my body to guide the rest of me. Moaning and arching and enjoying every second of it.

"Alright, fine, but that doesn't mean anyone else needs to know about it." I give him a peck on the cheek. "Can you show me some pictures? I like seeing what you see."

"Sure." He scoots back and reopens the notebook. Finally, something not of me, but not pleasant either. It's Rue, when she died, surrounded by the flowers I had put around her.

"I know this one makes you sad, and I know that I drew it during the judging for Quarter Quell, but if she hadn't of died, you would have."

"She was so young." I feel the tears, so many tears. "She was so cute and reminded me of Prim. That's why I liked her so much, plus, she managed to survive on her wits too."

Peeta moves himself to my side, turning my face towards him and wipes away the tears. "I don't mean to make you cry, but at least we'll always remember her."

"You know, she thought that my love for you was real in the first Games? She didn't know I was faking for the cameras?" He wraps his arm around me and puts the notebook in his lap. "I'm thinking now that maybe she knew something I didn't."

"Maybe. I didn't know you were faking either though." He turns the pages, it's one fat notebook. The next drawing he picks is of something I have never seen.

"What's this place?" I ask, pointing to an especially cold-looking hospital-grade table and television set. There are straps hanging off of the table and a big light above it.

"It's where they held me and gave me the shots of trackervenom. They replayed the videos on that set. I couldn't get it out of my head, so it made it into the notebook." Even though he sounds like he's repulsed by it, it's obvious that it had to come out in some form. I hear the door to the meadow open and he moves back to sitting across from me with the notebook in his lap, closed.

Surprisingly, it's Haymitch, with Johanna following him, who walks towards us. He seems distressed and we'll soon find out why. "Coin wants to see you two and Johanna."

Peeta scowls at him and asks, "What would she want with any of us?"

"Just following orders." I have to choke back a laugh,

"Since when?"

He leans down and right into my ear, whispers, "It's still a game, just hers now." And he walks away from us.

"What was that about? Why would she need any of us?" Johanna questions. "You're pregnant, Peeta's too unstable, sorry, but you are, and I just got out of the hospital too."

"Well, I did tell her I would want to know when they go invade the Capital."

"Why? You can't go with them." Peeta says, looking at my belly with concern.

"No, but I still wanted to know and if they get Snow, I'm the only one allowed to kill him."

Peeta and Johanna's eyes both go wide. She smiles and slaps me on the back, while he just gives me a worried look. Peeta gets up and holds his hands out for me to help. We exit the meadow room, where just one guard is waiting. Apparently the doctors have deemed Peeta safe enough in his current company. Beetee joins us and we all make our way to the meeting room.

We walk through the door, the table almost full. Coin looks up from the notes in front of her. "You can wait outside." She advises the guard. He pouts and walks back out. His detail hasn't given him much to do.

"Welcome back Peeta, Johanna, Katniss. Take a seat." We all sit next to one another near Haymitch and I notice Gale staring at Peeta again. I shoot him a dirty look, which he catches and turns his attention to Coin. "Alright, we have intel that has made into District 1. So I want a group to meet up with them and head into the Capitol tomorrow. A hovercraft will drop you off on the outskirts of District 1 and you will walk in on foot."

"Who's part of the team?" Gale questions, looking around.

"You, Finnick, and I need one more. There's already a team there, with Boggs in charge, with two people who are from the Capitol, so they have knowledge of the streets and who to trust." She looks at me, "Once the Capitol is overtaken, you will have your moment with Snow. If you weren't in the condition you're in, you would be my third choice, but that's not an option."

"It's not a condition; she's pregnant, with a baby. My baby." Peeta speaks up. Coin just glares at him and he sinks into his seat. I put my hand over his, intertwine our fingers together. Gale sees this and shakes his head. I don't care what he thinks, Peeta is with me again.

"Anyway, we need one volunteer." She looks around the table. Johanna raises her arm.

"I'll go." Coin just shakes her head,

"Someone who isn't afraid of water. The pods they have set up could have anything in them, including a flood and you haven't gained any weight back."

"Then what's the point of asking for volunteers? And why are the three of us here anyway?" She's angry. Johanna wants to be a part of some kind of action, I know the feeling well. "Hell, even Haymitch isn't viable because of his drinking! You can't use Beetee because he can't even walk well enough on his own yet and you would have picked one of your own already."

"She wants me to go." Peeta comments. My eyes go straight to his face and then to Coin's. She hasn't said he's wrong yet.

"He can't go! He's just gotten better and you're going to send him in there for another fight!" I'm rising out of my chair without thinking and both Peeta and Johanna pull me back down.

"He's been trained for this. Those weeks you didn't see him, he was busy learning what he needed to go through the Capitol. He knows how to use a gun and follows orders well." She was so unaffected by my outburst and I know she could care less if he comes back again.

Gale shakes his head again. "Isn't he too unstable to go out there? I don't think I want to be on the team with him."

I glare at him. "He's not unstable; he hasn't had one attack in the last days."

"With you, maybe not. But put him in the middle of a war zone, who knows what's he's capable of."

"I'm right here. I have been training with other soldiers at different times. I have seen plans of the Capitol, where the pods are. Gale, it's fine that you don't want me around, I don't want to be around you much either." He turns towards me, squeezes my hand. "I needed the time with you to sort out memories. What I've learned here has nothing to do with what we talked about."

My eyes drop to our hands and I pull mine out from under his. "Fine, I want to go too then."

Everyone has something to say about this and everyone, except for Johanna and Haymitch are mad about it. Finally, I stand up. "I just need a new suit to wear."

"You can't go, Katniss." Peeta claims, trying to pull me back into my seat.

"Have you ever seen what a mother bear can do when her cub is in danger?" He just shakes his blond head. I see Gale shake his head but smiling out of the corner of my eye. Haymitch is smiling as well. "Well, she would kill anyone or anything that hurts that cub and I intend on doing the same. I can get around just fine and shooting isn't an issue."

"She will find a way into the middle of it if you don't let her go." Haymitch chimes in. He knows I'll do it too, especially since they intend on taking Peeta away from me again.

"I'm not pleased about this, but it's also your life. Beetee, take her downstairs, have her fitted at once. The four of you are to be back up here in one hour to go over the plans. One hour."


	7. Chapter 7

Peeta refuses to let me out of his sight. He goes with me down to Beetee's office/lab. He takes out my original Mockingjay suit. Taking measurements, he sees that he really only needs to add body armor to cover my center of course. I haven't really gained weight anywhere else. No one has come down with us, no guard or nurse. I think Coin wanted to see if Peeta would kill me. On our way back up to the meeting room, he takes my hand.

"Why do you insist on coming?"

"I can't be without you again, Peeta." We stop in the hallway. We still have time before our hour is up. I look at him and put my palm against his cheek, "I know how to protect myself, this baby, and I know now how to protect you. But I have to be with you though to do so."

"I don't think you should. Even with that armor on your suit, what if you fall on your stomach? Or get hit with a bullet? I could lose you and the baby." He puts his hand on my belly. "I'm just getting to know you again and know her at all."

"So insistent on this being a girl? Peeta, really, I have a feeling Coin would have found some other way to get me killed once she sent you off. Now I have voluteered and she won't feel guilty if I die at the enemy's hands." I put my hands over his. "I'm not letting you go again."

We start walking again and round the corner to the meeting room. Outside of it are Gale, my mother, and Prim. My mother has been crying and Prim looks older, serious. Gale rolls his eyes at the sight of Peeta and I holding hands. I don't know why he cares, we both knew that it was never him that I loved.

"How can you do this?" My mother hisses at me. She stands right in front of us, takes in the sight of us together. "You're six months pregnant! It isn't safe!"

"I'm going. You have never been the one looking out for me, so why start now?" It's as if I slapped her across the face. Her mouth opens, shuts, and opens again,

"I know you took better care of yourself and your sister, but this is different. You're not just hunting for food…."

"No, just survival. Pretty much the same thing." This time it's her real hand that smacks me in the face. My cheek burns where she hit it and Gale grabs her back. Peeta squeezes my hand, afraid I'll hit her back I guess. "Right, I have somewhere to be, Mother. Do you even want me to say good-bye before we leave?"

Prim gets inbetween us, "I know what you're doing and why you're doing it. Just come back again." She gives me a quick hug and leans down to my belly, "Give them hell Baby Mockingjay."

I smile. Prim's so young and she gets it. Mother doesn't, but somehow Prim understands that I can't let Peeta go without me again. How does a barely fourteen-year-old get it? She gives Peeta a small smile and holds out her hand, "Bring them back, Peeta."

He lets go of my hand and takes hers, "I will. I promise."

With that, Prim goes to Mother and pulls her away. They walk down the hall and I'm not sure if I'm sad or not. I understand why Mother hit me, but where she couldn't do anything after my father died, I will do everything in my power to save the love of my life from getting killed by the one person I hate more than anyone or anything. Once they have disappeared around the corner, Peeta, Gale, and I go into the room. Coin is standing near the table, talking to Finnick. She glances up at the three of us and says to a man by a table of food, "Get Katniss some ice for her face. Looks like she need's it."

He passes me ice wrapped in napkins and I hold it to my face. Peeta smiles and replies, "Definitly had worse, huh?"

"Yeah." We take a seat as people start to gather in and fill the table again. Coin sits at the head as usual and begins.

A digital map pops up in front of everyone's seat. I lean forward, taking in the small pods glowing above almost every street. "These are just the ones we know about from Intel. We will disconnect as many of them as we can so the soldiers can move through freely. Katniss, you said you can still shoot?"

I'm shocked she's addressing me for some reason. "Yea. Yes. I got some practice in yesterday actually."

"Good, you and Gale have great aim and will be part of the sharpshooters team. The suit that Beetee is modifying for you will have more lightweight armor than most, purely for your protection of course." She isn't looking at me while she says all this, keeps switching the images from her map to ours. "Peeta, you're good with a gun, you will be their back-up."

"You're really going to put Katniss in there?" He sounds upset, though he knows as well as I do that I will be going no matter what.

"It's what she wants and she can help. I have two hundred soldiers who are ready to storm in right now, and they will have made the path wide open for you when you all arrive tomorrow."

"So, we're really not in the fight?" Gale questions.

"Well, not exactly frontlines, but I needed to hold you back for just the right time and it is now. You'll meet up with Boggs, who will take you all in. You will follow him into the city's center and get to Snow's mansion. From there, Katniss, you will have to try and wait to kill him until he is formally tried." I only nod my head. Orders are orders and I have no issues with Boggs giving them to me. If I have to wait to kill Snow, I'll be good about it.

"There's not much else to tell you, except that the hovercraft will drop you off here and you'll go in on foot from there." She points to coordinates on the map. "Boggs will be waiting. That's it. If I need to talk to any of you, I will send someone for you. Be ready to go at 4am. You all may go now."

Everyone starts to get up and takes their leave, as does Coin. She stops by my seat as I am rising out of it.

"Are you sure about this? No one is making you go." I have never heard her sound anything near as concerned. Though I think she is just saying this to make herself look good to anyone who is in the vicinity. I look her straight in the eyes and reply,

"Is there anything that would keep you from doing the same thing?" I question while leaning towards her. She scrunches her eyes and shakes her head.

"Good luck then Mockingjay." She shakes my hand and turns to Peeta and does the same.

We are just outside the door when Gale grabs my arm from behind.

"You can't seriously be thinking you're going to get on that hovercraft, are you?" He looks Peeta up and down and cocks his head towards him, "He can take care of himself."

I yank my arm out of his grip, "I'm fully aware of what Peeta is capable of. It's not about taking care of ourselves, but each other. We're better as a team." I angle my head to the side, "Kind of how you and I were better hunting together than alone, except now Peeta and I are better at protecting each other."

Peeta just kind of stands there, watching us. So when Gale turns to him and asks, "Are you really going to let her do this," his reply is,

"She'll do it anyway. Besides, I feel better in a way knowing that she and the baby will be right by me." He takes my hand and we walk away from a shocked Gale. I can't resist looking back and smile when I see how pissed off he is. It's childish really, to be happy that he's mad at our responses. Yet, I know I'll prove to him just how much better I am with Peeta than I ever could be with him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Warning, this is where the Rated M comes into play****

Once we're far away from the whole situation, I direct Peeta down a different hallway.

"Where are we going?" He just looks around, still holding my hand.

"Well, your _daughter_ has a tendancy to lay right on my bladder, so I need to go to the bathroom. My room is not that far away." Within five minutes, we're there. I unlock the door and notice that my mother and Prim's things are not there. I'm hurt, but still understand why they wouldn't want to be here. "You can sit on any of the beds, apparently my roommates have moved out."

I walk into the bathroom and swing the door. It doesn't close all the way, but it's not like it matters. I can see that Peeta has chosen my bed, though how he knows it's mine, I have no idea as they are all done in the same boring gray and white sheets. He hasn't noticed that the door is still open, so I see when he grabs the pillow and puts it to his face, inhaling my scent as it were. I finish up and wash my hands. When I walk back out, he has put the pillow to it's rightful spot and is just sitting there with his hands on his thighs.

I stand right in front of him, putting my body between his legs. Putting my hands on either side of his head I pull his blond head to my stomach. He wraps his arms around my middle, his arms are so long and big that they go all the way around me still. I kiss his curly hair and when he lifts his head towards me, kiss him full on the lips. Without breaking the kiss, he stands up and puts one hand in my hair, keeping the other one on the small of my back. I lean into the kiss as much as I can with this 15 pound bulge between us. My belly doesn't seem to phase Peeta at all.

"I've missed you so much, Peeta." I sigh against his neck, nipping at a tender spot there. He moans and runs his hands all around my back and up into my hair again, pulling my lips back up to his.

I feel his fingers tug at the hem of my shirt and I pull away just long enough to help him get it over my head. Without hesitating, he yanks his off as well, and I waste no time running my hands down his solid chest and stomach. He's a bit thinner than the last time we did this, but still in good shape. I feel raised scars underneath my fingertips and look down to see them. I turn us around so that I can sit on the bed while he stands in front of me. Taking in the sight before me, I lay gentle kisses on each one of the new wounds that he has. I hear him draw in a breath with each one and his hand tightens in my hair as I get lower to the top of his pants. I feel him pull the rubberband from my braid and his fingers loosening my hair so it falls around my shoulders and down my back.

Looking up at him, his blue eyes so intoxicating, I undo his belt and zipper and push his pants down. His manhood is straining against his boxers and I want to make sure I relieve him of this pressure as well. Ever so slowly dragging them down, I can hear Peeta whimpering for something more. He's so hard and so big. Was he this big before? Probably, but it's been such a long time… and I take the tip of him into my mouth, tasting just a bit of the fluid there. His loud moan is what makes me wrap my mouth around as much of him as I can. He's so thick and my jaw starts to protest against this new strain as I move my mouth back and forth.

Before I even realize what's going on, Peeta has pushed me back onto the bed and is taking off my pants and panties. He lays down next to me and runs his hands over the front of my body, carefully pinching each hard nipple and leaning his head down to take one in his mouth while he teases the other. I feel the wetness growing between my legs and cry out his name when I feel his fingers play at my entrance. He stops momentarily to look at my face and see that I am so ready for him. He slides a finger in and feeling just how wet I am, slips another one in. I pull his face to mine, enough of this, I want his lips on mine! I kiss him with everything I have and he leans into me as much as he can without hurting me.

I put my hand over where he is touching me and bring it from my center.I start pushing against his shoulder and he rolls onto his back so I climb on top him. He brings his hands to my breasts and fondles them, rolling my nipples between his fingers as I adjust myself over him. My head drops back as he enters into me and he lets out a groan as he fills me. I feel myself stretching to reaccommodate him, it's been so long, too long. Once I feel he is all the way in, I start to pull myself up and ease myself onto him again. I find a good spot to work with and start riding him as he bucks his hips up to meet me. It's as if our bodies have never been without the other. I put my hands on his tight chest to brace myself, I can feel the fire spreading through me. When I feel his hand on my cheek, I look down into his eyes. I see desire, heat, and love in those sapphire orbs.

"I don't ever want to lose you again." His voice is husky with need and when he sees me trying to lean down, he sits up as best he can and meets me halfway for a kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck and he readjusts himself so he is sitting up all the way but still very much deep inside me and hugs me close. We kiss each other passionately, tasting one another, tongues wrestling for dominance. I have to pull away to catch my breath and he goes for my neck, gently kissing and sucking on a sensitive spot. When my lips start their search for his once again, he pulls back, "I love you. I've always loved you."

The tears well in my eyes before I can even feel them and I reply, "I love you too, Peeta and I always will." We start kissing again, slower, sweeter, but the fire in me burns stronger. My body jerks and I arch my back, he's so deep inside and hitting a wonderfully tight spot. He somehow has moved my legs so that I am no longer on my knees, but they are now wrapped around his waist. He leans me back holding me tightly and sucks on one of my nipples. I put my arms out behind me and push myself against him.

"Oh God! Oh God!" I feel the fire building higher, hotter and then it releases me until I literally collapse in his sturdy arms. He moves us again so that he is above me, but holding himself up with his arms and thrusts into me hard. I can feel a hot bubble starting in me again and watch his face as he gets closer to his release.

When he finds me watching him, he keeps his gaze on mine as long as he can until he pumps once, twice and on the third empties into me. He falls to the side, not wanting to crush the baby I'm sure. Panting heavily, he rubs my belly and slides his hand to my face. I turn to my side and put my hand over his. "You know I can't let you go again, right?"

"I know." His breathing is slowing down and his face is beautifully flushed, with a small gleam of sweat around his brow and his curls sticking to it. He puts my hand to his mouth and kisses the back of it. "When this is all over, I want to go back to District 12."


	9. Chapter 9

His eyes are sad when he says this, but it's still home and from what I saw of it on a trip there three months ago, our houses were not among the destroyed. "We'll just have to decide whose house to live in, since Victor's Village wasn't bombed."

Peeta pulls back a little, adjusting his head on the pillow. "It wasn't?"

"No. I think it's clear that Snow wanted to hurt everyone we would possibly know but not take away everything material. Just like a Capitol person really." I nearly jump out of my skin when there's a knock on the door. Peeta gets up, wrapping the blanket around his waist as he goes to the door. I pull the sheet up around me, who the hell could that be?

When he asks who's there, I hear a man's voice and Peeta opens the door. I see Beetee as he wheels himself in. Looking at Peeta and then finding me on the bed, he holds up a black bundle and hands it to Peeta. "Didn't mean to disturb you two. Here's your suit Katniss, it should fit just fine. I gave it an extra two inches from what we measured earlier just in case." He reaches back behind him and pulls out my bow and quiver. "I've restocked your arrows, so you have a full set of twelve again. Remember the three different colors and uses please. I'll leave you two alone. Good luck to you both."

I give him a nod and a small wave good-bye and Peeta politely says thank you and closes the door. He hands me the suit and puts the bow and quiver on top of the dresser carefully. He doesn't know that to trigger the explosive one, I have to touch a button to activate it before I shoot it.

I get off the bed and the sheet falls in a puddle to my feet as I step away from it. Peeta looks at me differently, taking in my new form, the roundness of my belly. He goes to his pants and pulls out his notebook. "Can I draw you?"

"Wow, asking permission this time?" I give him a sly smile and add, "Have to pee first. I haven't been that active in a while."

Peeta chuckles and pulls on his boxers before he takes a seat on one of the empty beds. I relieve myself again, wash my hands and as I'm walking out, pull my hair to the side to start braiding it again. He looks up and shakes his head, "No, leave it down please?"

I shrug my shoulders and lay across my bed, "So, do you want me to pose or something?"

His cheeks go red and he shyly responds, "Actually, I was thinking you could hold your bow and pretend like you're aiming at something?"

"Oh. Okay." I get back up and take up the bow and pull one plain arrow from the quiver. "But….naked, right?"

"Yes, please." His hair has fallen into his face and he has found an empty page to sketch me.

I make sure I'm sideways so he can get any and all angles from my body and pull my bow up. I take "aim" at the wall opposite the doorway. I'm surprised when he says he's done, because my arm has just started to burn from the position. I shake out my arm, put the bow and arrow away, and pull on my panties and top. Looking at the black bundle on my bed, I pull it up and flip it open. "Will you tell me how it looks? Make sure it fits okay?"

Peeta fills in a couple of spots of shading and then gets up and tosses the book on the bed. I sit down on the bed and pull on the suit, standing up when I need to zip up the front. I'm just about to grab the zipper, when Peeta puts his fingers on it and does it for me. He fans my hair out over my shoulders again and smiles.

"You're so beautiful." And he kisses me. I'm about to reciprocate when he pulls away. I pout and he gives me another warm smile and a kiss on my nose. "Don't you want to take a shower before we go to dinner? I know I feel a little sticky in some spots."

I scrunch my nose and stick my tongue out at him. I go to the bathroom and turn on the water for the shower. When I step back into the room, I take off my suit and underwear again and grab some clean towels from the cabinet. He whips off his boxers and walks behind me into the shower. I let him get wet first and start to lather up the soap in a washcloth. While he's cleaning his hair, I get to the rest of him. Now that he's mentioned food, I just want to go eat, though looking at his body is making me think twice about dinner.

I take my time cleaning his chest and that lovely part that makes him a man. I turn him around and clean his tight behind and back, placing kisses on his shoulder blades and giving him a gentle squeeze on the butt when he tells me it's my turn. We switch spots and he has me face away from him first so he can wash my hair. I have to put my hands against the wall in front of me, because I feel like I'm going to fall asleep while he's massaging the shampoo into my scalp. He turns me again so I can rinse that off and relathers the washcloth. He has everything covered in small soapy bubbles in no time and takes care when he cleans inbetween my legs. When he kneels down to get my legs, he kisses my belly again. I have a feeling that there will be no more fooling around for now.

I turn off the water and open the shower door, grab a towel and toss it to him and grab the other one for myself. He steps out and dries himself off on the little rug, his blond curls looking dark and going every which way from how he rubbed the towel against his head. I start to dry myself off, just going through the motions of a normal bathtime ritual. It's as if he hadn't left, like we do this all the time or something. It's really amazing to me how comfortable I am with this when I was blushing so much just a few hours earlier over the pictures he drew of me.

"Peeta, when we go back to District 12, will we get married?" I know he's taken by surprise by how his eyes widen and mouth drops a little.

"I thought you never wanted to get married?" He says, pulling on his clothes.

"Did you ever really forget anything I told you?" He shakes his head. "Well, I figure, I hadn't wanted kids either, but look what's happened?" I reply, poking myself. I follow him and get dressed.

"Is that what you want? I mean, I'm happy just being with you and knowing we're having this baby and I get to be a part of it…"

I walk up to him and wrap my arms around him, cutting him off, "Peeta, when they said they rescued you, all I could think about was being with you always. I just think that being married is the next step since we obviously went out of order here."

I feel him smiling into my hair. "Is that your proposal then?"

I look up at him and match his smile, "I think so."

"Well, alright then. My answer's yes." He gives me a soft kiss and the says, "Now let's get down to dinner and survive the next few days."


	10. Chapter 10

There's not much going on in the cafeteria when we're in line, but when we come out from behind the wall that separates the food and the tables, people all of a sudden get quiet and stare. From somewhere in the back, I hear Johanna call out,

"Over here!" We walk towards her, where she is waving her hands like a nut and sit with her. People are still staring, but have started whispering to each other.

"What's going on? Why is everyone being so weird?" I ask her as I load my fork up with mashed potatoes and some kind of meat.

"They all think you're crazy for going to the Capitol tomorrow. And they still think Peeta's unhinged enough to hurt you there, away from safety." She says this like it doesn't matter to her either way.

"What? Why would I hurt Katniss now?" Obviously this hurts Peeta more than me, I know better. I put my hand over his and shake my head,

"They just don't know you like I do, Peeta. All they really know about you is that you were caught, held, rescued, and make pretty cakes." Johanna snorts, making food almost come out of her mouth.

"Yeah, they really like the cakes." She says with her mouth full of food. Apparently no one taught her manners, or she just simply doesn't care.

"Shut up Johanna." I retort and look back at Peeta, "But really, they don't know how you and I work. They probably still think that whatever Snow did to you is what is controlling you now. You know what? How come you didn't tell me you were in training while I wasn't visiting?"

He looks away at first, to both sides of him, and then back at me with those lovely blue eyes and whispers, "Coin told me not to tell you. I don't think it's safe to talk about it here though either."

I nod, understanding what he is saying, so instead focus on what he trained in. "Well, they did strength training to build back any muscle I lost and I had to drink these really nasty shakes. I think they called them protein shakes so I could gain weight quicker. Then it was onto shooting and hand-to-hand combat. I'd never even held a gun before, so they were pretty happy when I picked it up pretty fast. The combat thing though, I mean, I had the edge because of wrestling, but the first couple of times were hard just getting used to having to fight again. I don't really like it."

"Yeah, more into a different kind of hands-on training, huh?" Johanna chimes in, wriggling her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

"Johanna, really!" I shove her shoulder and she laughs.

"Just stating the obvious. You two were MIA after the second meeting and when I ran into Beetee; he mentioned that he found you two together in your room. I'm so sure you were just talking the whole time." She smiles as she says this and before I can hit her again, she bounces out of her seat and goes to throw her tray in its place. Peeta only shakes his head at her. I'm glad he doesn't mind her joking.

We eat for a few moments in silence, not paying attention to anyone's stares until the seat Johanna was in is suddenly filled by none other than Gale. Seeing the look at my face, he puts his hands up as if in surrender.

"Hold on, I'm here to apologize….kind of." Peeta gives him a dirty look as well. "Look, I know you're going to go whether anyone really wants you to or not, Katniss, so I'm going to say this once and one time only, I will protect both of you. Meaning you and the baby."

"What….are….you…talking about?" I hiss out. "Why would you offer me any kind of protection and not Peeta, but say it in front of him?"

"Because he's hoping I'll die and you'll go to him for comfort." Peeta suggests. "Isn't that right, Gale?"

Gale answers with a steely-eyed glare, so I point out, "He tried that before, when I thought you were dead and had just found out I was pregnant. Didn't go too well, did it?"

"Fine, no extra protection then. You two will are on your own." He shoves the chair back and stalks away. I stare after him.

"Did he really just say that to us?" I'm mad now and Peeta can see it in my face, hear it in my voice. "On our own? What a jerk! It's not like he was there in the Games with us, either time! He isn't the one who taught me how to shoot or you how to do camouflage! And I'm pretty sure he's never had to kill anyone yet in order to save his own ass!"

People snap their heads in our direction when I yell this last word. Parents shoot me dirty looks and Peeta just sheepishly smiles. "It's the hormones, sorry."

"Peeta, that is so not true!" Though my voice is lower now. He shakes his head and replies,

"But here is not the place. I agree with you one-hundred and ten percent, but just not here." Still looking after me, even though I let him down. I nod and start in on my pudding. I had never really had a sweet tooth before, but I guess this is just a side effect of being pregnant.

We finish our food in silence and then head out of the cafeteria. "I have to get some clothes out of my room. Can we stop by there first?"

"Of course. You think they'll let you stay with me though?" Peeta may be better, but this might be overstepping the boundaries a bit.

"We're going into the middle of a battlefield no matter what they call it tomorrow. I think that they'll let me stay with the woman I love tonight." He says matter-of-factly. We go to his room and when we open the door, there's already a bag sitting on the bare bed. Yep, I guess that's a yes that he'll be in my room tonight. Even after our afternoon romp, the thought makes me nervous and excited at the same time. We hadn't planned, at least I hadn't, sleeping together the first time around, the shower afterwards wasn't expected, and this afternoon wasn't really prearranged. Though, since we're engaged now and will hopefully be in our own home by the end of the month, it's only natural for us to spend the night together again.

We get to my room and he goes in first, as if he's checking to make sure it's okay to go in. I step in after him when he turns on the lights and lock the door behind us. I go straight to the clock on the dresser in-between the beds and say,

"I'll set the alarm for three, gives us plenty of time to…." I feel him right behind me and he wraps his arms around me, hugging me close to his body. I turn around slowly, knowing his lips will find mine soon and they do. We've spent most of the day together and I know now that this may be our last peaceful night together.

I lean into him and return the kiss with fervor. He lifts me up and places me on the bed, whipping off his shirt and pants in no time. I struggle a little, trying to go too quick and he takes over to relieve me of my clothing. He gets onto the bed, facing me, on his side and I turn to him.

"Can I just hold you and kiss you?" Such a simple request and I won't deny him. I snuggle my way into his arms as he lowers his head to mine and once again gives me the most precious of kisses. Slow, sweet and a little wet when I open my mouth to his. He pulls back and looks into my eyes. I don't know what he sees there, but I hope it's the same as what I see in his. Desire, contentment, devotion, and love, unending and true love.


	11. Chapter 11

***I've changed a lot of Mockingjay and this part is no exception. I own nothing.****

When we arrive at our designated spot the next morning, the sun is just glaring over the Capitol buildings. I'm smushed between Peeta and Boggs as they rush me into a safe house of sorts. From what I was able to glimpse, the entrance to the Capitol has already been bombed and I see flames shooting out of a house down the street. There's plenty of gunfire and Boggs has to yell at us because of it.

"I don't know what Coin was thinking sending you all here so late! And especially you Everdeen!" He shakes his head as he looks at me.

I shoot Peeta an 'I told you so' look and he nods once. He knows now that Coin could care less if I come back alive. Apparently she wants my death on video too, because we have two cameramen following us with the smallest video equipment I've ever seen recording everything. There had been another cameraman already out here, but he had been killed three days before.

"Listen, you two will stay close to me. My second in command, Soldier Jackson, will give my orders to anyone else. Peeta, you always take up the rear, Katniss, stay in the middle, bow always at the ready! Understand?" Boggs orders. We both nod.

"What about me?" Gale asks, pissed that he was overlooked. Boggs looks at him and replies,

"Rear with Peeta."

"What? I'm a bodyguard now?"

"You will do as I say, Hawthorne. Now," He activates his Holo and shows us the street we're on and what direction we'll be going soon. "We'll follow this straight down and turn right here. Two pods have been deactivated by our men that were in the path. That's when a house was set on fire and another one released some kind of trackerjacker."

Peeta and I look at each other. We know all too well what that venom does to a person. We nod to Boggs again and Gale sulks behind us as we get into a formation. There's a group of five ahead of us and about thirty seconds after they leave, we go out into the morning haze. There are Capitol people running and screaming everywhere. Some are injured, blood splattered on their faces and clothes, others just look lost. They have never had to go through anything like this and I feel a little sorry for them. Then I remember that these are the same people who watched children fight to the death avidly every year for seventy-five years.

I have an arrow all ready to launch if needed and see Peeta with his gun at the ready. I've never seen him with any kind of weapon besides a knife, so it unnerves me a little to see how comfortable he is holding it. There's also a rifle on a strap across his back resting on top of his slim backpack. Gale has the same weapons and by the look on his face, he would love to at least hit me with one of them. My eyes roam everywhere and I am three steps away from Boggs.

We're good for at least five minutes amid all the gunfire, screaming, and fires when an explosion hits to the left of us. I stumble sideways and Peeta's arm catches me swiftly and securely, though he is unsteadied by the blast as well. Boggs goes to one knee, checking above hi,m to his right and left and finally behind him. Once he sees that we're all fine he waves his hand forward and we continue. We make it to the end of the street and make the right as we're supposed to, when we see a group of people running towards us.

A pod has been detonated and a swarm of birds comes shooting out of it. Of course, being the Capitol, these are no ordinary birds. They are the ones from the second Quarter Quell, the pink birds with scary long thin beaks. I watch as a few people don't run quickly enough and just as we're all putting our helmets over our heads, I watch a young girl get skewered in the neck. It seems the birds die just as quickly, like when a bee stings you. I run after Boggs, feeling Peeta's fingers on my back, pushing me a little. We run straight into an open-doored house and slam the door shut after the cameramen run through. You can hear a few of the birds hit the windows, walls, and door with a loud thunk. It amazes me that none of the Capitol people thought to go into a house, but they aren't bent on survival, they usually have everything they could ever want right at their fingertips.

We all pull off our helmets and Gale goes to a window to pull aside the curtain. He looks around the street. "It's done. Everyone is done running anyway."

"Keep your helmets on, those birds are one of the few things we can get stuck with." We do as he says and once he opens the door, we slowly file out.

All the birds have disappeared, though many of them are stuck in the bodies scattered throughout the street. So many of the people are in their bedtime clothes. They weren't warned, they weren't prepared for an attack at all. I see two children wandering around aimlessly, poking at the dead bodies, probably looking for their parents. I keep my bow ready at my side, the arrow hasn't even slipped. We all quietly follow Boggs and the team that's ahead of us. They only lost one person in the bird attack, but move on as if nothing happened.

I start to hear a lot of commotion ahead of us and Boggs has us still behind a building. We have made it to the city's center. It seems too easy, shouldn't there have been more pods, obstacles? That's when I see it, a large group of children at the steps of Snow's mansion. Some are crying, some are holding toys or blankets or who seems to be their sibling, most look very lost as to why they are there. All of a sudden a hovercraft appears and drops parachutes down. The children recognize these as presents from the Games and so wrongly assume that it's the same. I look to Peeta and Gale behind me. Peeta shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders, he has no clue, but I see Gale's reaction and that's the one that I'm scared of.

He knows what those parachutes hold. He knows! And I remember the conversation he and Beetee had in the lab one day a few months ago, right after I had gotten to District 13. I start to go forward and he pulls me back. Peeta tries to loosen his grip on me and Boggs has turned around to see what's going on behind him. "What the hell!"

Then the small explosives go off. One by one, I see little puffs of fire and sparks light up their tiny faces. The screams are what reach us seconds later. I yell out at the same time. I know none of them, but they're only children! Gale lets me go into Peeta's arms as I sob. It's the second wave of people who run towards the children that I should have been worried about though. I see the blond braid, the shirt untucked as she passes us.

"Prim! No!" I wriggle out of Peeta's arms, run past Boggs, his hand catches my arm but I swing at him and when he goes to block it, I take to running again. "Prim! Stop!"

She hears me just as the next surge of parachutes come floating down. She is turning to the sound of my screams when one drops right next to her and she is engulfed in flames in an instant. This time I am thrown back by the blasts and slam into other bodies. I hear Peeta yelling, I feel someone hitting my legs with their hands, feel the cruel heat climbing up my side. Just as Peeta's face is coming into my line of sight, I also see the butt of a gun hit him in the head and I black out.


	12. Chapter 12

Prim and I on the floor making bracelets out of string, singing songs.

Peeta throwing me burnt bread in the freezing rain.

Screaming. Black out.

Prim and I collecting dandelions for soup.

Buying the goat for Prim's birthday.

Telling Mother she can't zone out again while I'm gone at the Games.

Flames burning my legs while running through the trees.

Burning. Black Out.

Peeta's bright blue eyes, hidden in the mud.

Crying out his name. Black out.

Prim's arms reaching for me, on fire.

Burning. Burning. Black out.


	13. Chapter 13

When I finally wake up, I'm afraid until I run my hands down my body and feel my mercifully swollen belly. The baby is fine. I turn my head and I see my mother asleep in a chair next to my bed. She looks even older than when my father had died. These last few years have not treated her kindly. I hear someone take in a deep breath in their sleep. I try to lift myself up, but everything is sore and I can feel the gauze on my side and on my legs. I move slowly, my head stretched out far enough that I can see who is in the bed next to mine. Peeta's head has a thick white bandage around it and the part of his face visible to me is part bruises, part burns. They can't be too bad, since they're not covered like mine, but they are there.

I try to move again, going really slow and at least get the blanket off of me when my mother wakes up. She gives me a sad smile and when she sees what I'm trying to do, she moves the blanket from me and helps me sit up.

"How long have I been out?" My throat hurts and is dry.

"About five days. They had to keep medicating you because you would start screaming and thrashing around, reopening the wounds. You kept yelling…"She chokes on a sob, "Stop, Prim."

It all comes back to me. This is why I hurt. Prim was killed in an explosion and I tried to run to her. I tried to get her away from it or I tried to go to it. Gale tried to hold me back, Boggs tried to hold me back, which explains why I have finger shaped bruises on my arms. Peeta came after me, held me while I was on fire. He was hit in the head; someone hit him in the head. Someone…..

"Is Peeta okay?" Is the next question. She nods her head, wiping away a tear.

"He hasn't had to be medicated like you. He didn't want anything at first, just to be in the same room as you." She looks over at him. "The only reason he's in bed is because he was just too tired and fell out of the chair."

I can't help but giggle a little at the image in my head. Now's not the time for it, but my mother gives another sad smile. "It was a little funny, had he not hit his head again. But he's okay, just a minor concussion from the original hit to the head."

"Help me to him?" She carefully puts her arm under mine and lifts me. My legs blaze with pain and inactivity. I take my steps slower than I think I ever have. She places me so that I am sitting next to his chest and when I turn myself to touch him; I feel the tightness of my burnt skin. I put my hand on his face, the unhurt side, ignoring my skin protest against the movement. I hear my mother leave the room quietly.

His dark blond eyelashes flutter and open to reveal those beautiful blue eyes hiding behind them. He smiles and raises his hand to my face.

"Hello, Sweetheart." I want to melt into him. He adjusts himself and is sitting up soon, trying not to jostle me too much. He starts to get up.

"What are you doing?" I ask, worried.

"You should be lying down. Here." He guides me gradually into his spot and lays down next me. It's evident that his burns were not nearly as severe as mine.

"How bad is it? The burns I have?" I ask him once he is settled next to me.

"Your legs got the worst of it, they did some graphs, and it'll be pretty tender for awhile from what they told me. They said had you not had that extra protection that Beetee just put on you, the burns on your side would be way worse. I guess it's lucky I knocked you up." He smiles awkwardly and puts a hand on my belly. The burns on his face must hurt. "She's just fine, by the way. She was kicking up a storm when they would hold you down to medicate you."

"Still think it's a girl, huh?" I smile with him. He pats my stomach and nods.

"Only someone exactly like you could be that strong and survive that." He seems sad and I touch his face again.

"Peeta." He shakes his blond head.

"I thought I was going to lose you again." Tears well in his eyes.

"I'm fine. The baby's fine. We'll be able to go home soon now, right?" He shakes his head again.

"We have to stay here for the trial and eventually the execution, which will probably be the same day." He shrugs his shoulders. "Coin hasn't sent anyone by today yet with an update."

"So, she's still in charge? What about Haymitch and Boggs and…..where's Gale?"

"I figured you'd ask. He stopped by the second day you were out. He apologized and when I asked for what, he just left." Peeta has no idea. He hadn't been around when Beetee and Gale talked about traps and explosives and killing people.

"He was the one who sent the bombs." Peeta's eyebrows scrunch together and he shakes his head.

"No, how is that possible? He was with us."

"It was an idea he and Beetee had to get the enemies together…."

"But those were children." He voice raises a notch and he sits up. "Why would they kill children?"

"When they talked about it, it was about animals, prey. Get the offspring in and the parents will come after. An easy target." He keeps shaking his head.

"Why would they want to kill kids though?"

"What parent wouldn't go after them? A few sacrificial lambs as it were?" I explain much like I understood when they told me about it. "He was also the one who hit you in the head, but I don't know why."

Peeta rubs the side of his head. "What the hell? He blows ups kids and the medics who go in to help and he hits me with a freaking gun?"

It's the first time he's said anything about the medics and when he sees my face, he cradles me and says, "I'm sorry about Prim. She was a good girl."

I start to sniffle, filling the tears start up, "Why was she there anyway? She's only fourteen. She shouldn't have been there."

Peeta lets me cry, just holding me and rocking me a bit. When I hear the door open, I wipe my nose on the blanket and Peeta wipes away the tears. It's Haymitch and Johanna.

"Your mom said you were awake _finally_." Johanna claims, plopping herself down on my empty bed. "What's wrong now?"

"Wow, Johanna, so sensitive." Peeta says sarcastically. She sticks her tongue out at him and lies back on the bed, talking to the ceiling.

"She'll be fine. I'm betting that baby would like something other than liquid nutrition anyway and now she'll be thinking about real food." Of course once Johanna has said this, I realize that I am a little hungry and look at Peeta. He chuckles and turns to press a button on the side of the bed.

Haymitch sits on the end of the bed by Johanna's feet and looks at me. He doesn't say anything right away, just looks at me.

"They tried Snow yesterday. Of course he was found guilty of all charges and sentenced to death." I nod my head for him to continue. "Coin is waiting to see how you well you're doing. She said she will keep her promise of letting you kill him."

"Wow, really? I figured she was hoping I would float out of the picture now." I sit up with Peeta's help and he fluffs up a pillow for me to lean against, though I choose his chest instead.

"Oh, she was. But I told her that you would at least want the chance to tell her yourself if you didn't want to do it." I nod my head again as a nurse walks in. She takes a look at everyone in the room and looks directly at me,

"Did you need something Miss Everdeen?"

"I'm hungry. Can I have something to eat?"

"I'll tell the doctor. That's good, but we'll have to start you off really slow since you haven't eaten in a few days." She leaves and the door shuts behind her.

"Where's Gale?" I feel Peeta straighten up behind me. Haymitch looks to him and I look directly at Haymitch. "Where is he?"

"He's here; well, not in the hospital, but in the Capitol. He hasn't talked to me at all, though I know he came to see you." He's avoiding something.

"I know that. Peeta told me already. And I also know that it was his and Beetee's idea that killed Prim." Haymitch opens and closes his mouth and Johanna looks straight at me, shocked.

"How do you know it was their idea? Someone told me it was a Capitol hovercraft that flew over." She asks.

"It's easy enough to paint a new symbol. I was there when they talked about it. I know it was them and I also know Gale didn't know Prim would be there." I feel Peeta's lips in my hair and put my hand over his, resting it on my belly.

"Well, I guess we can have him come back here if you want?" Haymitch offers.

I shake my head, "No, I don't want to be in the hospital when I talk to him. How soon do you think they'll let me out?"

The door opens again and a doctor comes in with the nurse following him, holding a tray in her hands. She sets it on a movable table and keeps it covered while the doctor comes around in front of me. He pulls the chair that my mother was in to face me and takes a seat.

"Well, Miss Everdeen, we'll keep you overnight of course and see how tomorrow goes. Let me get a look here. Mr. Mellark, if you could help Miss Everdeen stand up please?" Peeta gets off the bed and then helps me up as well. I'm a little light-headed this time and grab his arm for support. "Yes, well, that's definitely to be expected."

He gently pulls down one of the bandages. I can't see anything past my belly standing up, but the look on Johanna's face says enough. She sees me and fakes fainting and a pillow whizzes past me and slams into her. "Be nice Johanna!" I laugh as Peeta warns her.

The doctor smiles at me and replies, "Well, the graphs are healing nicely considering what you put them through. I want you to try and take it easy the next day and a half, but from what I heard about you, that's a tall order."

Haymitch snorts and Johanna scoffs. Peeta wraps his arms around me and says to the doctor, "That's just one reason why I love her."

At that, Johanna rolls her eyes and gets up; tossing the pillow Peeta threw at her back onto his bed as she walks out. "I can't take the mushy stuff. I'll come back later to see you Kat."

Haymitch gets up as well. He pats Peeta on the shoulder and gives me a kiss on the cheek. "I'll come back if there's any news. Otherwise, I expect to see you in a couple of days. They're setting everyone up in Snow's mansion, it's huge."

The doctor motions for me to take a seat. "Actually, I need you to lie down; I want to check out the baby too."

I do as he says, Peeta holding me under my arm until I'm on my back. The doctor opens my gown and I see a bruise on my belly and suck in a breath. "It's nothing to worry about. You got hit, but with the armor and yourself, the baby was well protected."

I look up at Peeta and he nods his head. He was probably awake when they did the initial check-up on the baby and me, so he knows more then I do. The doctor puts his hands on certain spots, pressing and I feel the baby kick back. I laugh, knowing that our baby is alive and well now.


	14. Chapter 14

For the next three days, I actually follow the doctor's advice and take it easy. The skin on my legs still feels tight, but I am walking better. The bruises that Peeta and I have are changing their colors and his burns look better as they apply more ointment to them. The nurse comes in four times a day to put ointment on our burns and a cream on my belly to make me itch less. Johanna comes by, making sure we're not being "mushy" and we go for walks around the hospital floor so I can get some exercise. While we do this, Peeta is usually furiously drawing away. It's on the third night that the doctor tells us we'll be released in the morning.

"What about my mother?" I haven't seen her since she left our room when I woke up.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her in this part of the hospital, but I know she stayed to help." I nod and he walks out. Peeta is sitting up on his bed, back against the headboard, looking at his sketches.

"Why hasn't she come back to see us?" I know my voice sounds hurt and I'm not used to it. Peeta and I have only talked a little bit about Prim, but is that why mother hasn't returned? He looks at me and comes to me by the window, wrapping his arms around my ever-expanding waist.

"I don't know. She didn't talk to me much while you were out and when I would start to talk, she ended the conversation pretty quickly. It might just take some time." He says into my hair. I turn to face him, wrap my arms around his midsection and lay my head on his chest.

"She's going to leave again, just like she did when Father died. Only this time she'll say she's too busy helping others." I feel the tears fall but don't look up at him. I know he has lost his entire family but he has never known what it is to lose someone who is physically right there. Peeta holds me, lets my tears fade into his shirt until my eyes are dry again. He has never once rushed me or made fun of me about all the crying lately, just holds me in his safe, strong arms.

The next morning Haymitch arrives to take us to wherever it is that we are staying in the mansion. It's a huge place, over a hundred rooms and almost twice as many bathrooms. The room we stay in is beautiful, as is almost everything in the Capitol. There is a huge bed, it could probably fit five adults in it and I can't help but lay right in the middle and spread my arms and legs out. We only get ten minutes to adjust ourselves to the room before there is a knock at the door and a soldier is waiting on the other side when Peeta opens it.

"President Coin would like to see you Miss Everdeen. You are welcome to come as well Mr. Mellark." I get up with Peeta's help and we follow the soldier to a completely different side of the mansion. He knocks on a door and I hear a "Come in" from the other side.

There is a huge table in its center with most of the seats filled already. I notice Gale is sitting near Coin, as well as Boggs. Seeing Johanna, Beetee, Finnick, Annie, and Haymitch is what confuses me though. We take our seats and Coin starts again.

"Well, as you well know by now Miss Everdeen, Snow was charged and found guilty. I have kept my word and you will be executing him tomorrow at sunset. What I have called all of you here for as well is to discuss something else entirely." I catch Johanna's look, she doesn't seem happy about something. "We were thinking that of doing a different version of the Hunger Games, only with the children of the Capitol…."

Apparently not everyone in her camp knew of this, because Boggs' jaw drops, as well as a few other people. Gale doesn't seem surprised, so he must be part of the "we." Johanna yells, "Hell yes!" while Finnick and Annie are shaking their heads. I look at Peeta and he is shocked.

"How can you do this when we have all just finished fighting? I thought this was the end of those games?" He puts the question to anyone who will answer really.

"They deserve it! For seventy-five years, every district except theirs had to give up their children to fight one another. I say it's an excellent idea." Johanna declares. Coin nods her head and I wonder whose idea it was.

"Exactly what I was thinking," she replies.

"Dozens of their children were just killed! Why would you want more deaths?" Peeta retorts. I know he's right and yet what Johanna said feels right too. I know what Coin wants when she says,

"I want every victor's opinion on it. Yes or no." She looks at Finnick first.

"No." And Annie mumbles the same and puts her hand over her stomach. She must be pregnant too and I swallow hard.

"You already know I'm for it." Johanna says again.

"No, I don't think anymore kids should die." From Peeta.

"No. What way is that to start a new era?" Beetee asks. Haymitch looks at me,

"I'll agree to whatever Katniss says." Great, now it falls to me.

"It wouldn't matter, that's already four to three if you both say yes." Beetee points out.

"But I would like to hear why or why not." Coin intercedes.

"Because how would I explain to my own child that I caused the death of so many others when I never wanted to be a part of it to begin with?" I reply.

"If you weren't pregnant, you'd be saying yes." Johanna guesses and maybe she's right.

"I didn't say no either, just how will I explain it?" Peeta takes my hand and squeezes it, shaking his blond head.

"Actually, I never said we were voting on it. I just said it was an idea and I wanted your opinions. I think we will still go forward with it. The people of the Capitol need to know what it feels like to possibly lose the things most…."

"Things! They are children! You are out of your mind!" This time it's Haymitch who has spoken up. "I may not have any of my own, but I've seen plenty of families torn apart by the Games and more so now with this war. I have had to sit by twice and watch as these two fight for their lives! Just end it now!"

He is standing up and Coin looks at him like he is exploding, which in a way he is. He hasn't had any liquor in him since we got to District 13 and it doesn't seem as though he has started back up on it. He is the most sober I've ever seen him and I couldn't be any prouder of him than I am right now from his words. Yet Coin's reaction goes a step further and I see her pull a gun from her side and point it straight at his head. Everyone at the table takes a collective breath, afraid of anything else. She is more evil than Snow, I'm sure of it.

"I suggest you sit down now, Mr. Abernathy. Yes, they are children, but they all need to be taught a lesson and how else will they learn?" She re-holsters her gun once Haymitch sits back down. We all are shaken. What does she mean by this? Is she really thinking that killing more children is the answer? "Whatever your feelings on the matter are quite mute. I am president now and have a team of people behind me. Now, back to Snow's execution."

She turns her attention back to me and I sit back in my chair, not realizing how tense I was and how hard I was squeezing Peeta's hand. "You will be given a single arrow as you are not known to miss your target. We will have your prep team in your room in the morning. You, as the Mockingjay, will be hopefully making her last appearance."

I only nod my head, but then think of something. "Can I see him? Snow?"

"Certainly. A guard will take you to him. You are all dismissed." We, the victors and Boggs, look at each other. There's nodding and we all slowly get up and leave. A guard follows Peeta and I and I realize I'm going to see Coin right now.

"I need to see him by myself, Peeta." I say as I turn to him. He hugs me and pats my belly.

"I'll be waiting in our room then. I'll make sure there's food waiting." He leans in and gives me a quick kiss before walking away side by side with Haymitch. I follow the guard through a maze of hallways, thankful that he's guiding me but saying nothing. He brings to a door finally, with two more guards in front of it. They move aside and I open the door and walk in by myself.

The smell of roses overwhelms me and almost gags me instantly. I move my way until I see him, sitting on a bench, chained to it, but surrounded by roses. He smiles as he sees me coming towards me.

"Why Katniss, I wondered if you would come see me." He looks at my belly and his smile widens even more. "Well, I suppose Peeta wasn't lying about the pregnancy?"

"He didn't know until he was rescued actually."

"How lovely. Is this why you came to see me? Show me that you both are doing well now under your new president?" I'm not sure if he's mocking me or not but he starts coughing into a handkerchief. It is spattered with blood when he pulls it away.

"No. I wanted to tell you that your punishing Peeta didn't make him forget me entirely. He remembered how he loved me and that I finally loved him back." His beady eyes widen. "I wanted you to know that you couldn't reach all of him and he is back to me now. Us."

"Well, let's just hope Coin doesn't try to take him away again." He knows exactly what to say to me to give me more reason to not trust Coin. She is already planning on killing more children just like Snow did. And it's for the same reason, to teach a lesson.

"She won't." With that, I turn and walk away.


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning, my prep team is waiting like puppies outside our door. Venia and Octavia gush about how pregnancy suits me and Flavius frets about how to get me into the suit. Peeta helps with that, insisting that they braid my hair up like my mother did so long ago at the first Games. They are careful with my legs, though the skin is not nearly as tight nor sensitive and put minimal make-up on me. I am to be recognizable. It turns out the suit is another new one, much like the one I had on when Prim was killed, though without so much armor on it.

Effie shows up halfway through to see that everything is going on schedule as usual. She compliments on how well I look, how well we both look. When she leaves to find Haymitch, Octavia tells me that she was treated harshly because of how little she knew. Her own stupidity is probably what saved her though.

Peeta is prepped as well, put into a boring gray jumpsuit. "It's what we were told all the victors are wearing, except for you." Venia explains when I see it and frown.

"Okay. Ummm, can Peeta and I have a minute before we go?" All three nod and walk out, closing the door behind them. I turn to him as he takes a seat at the desk in a corner, fiddling with a pen. I walk over to him and slowly kneel down in front of him. "I need you to understand why I said what I did yesterday."

"You mean, that you would have said yes?" He looks at me, his blue eyes sad now.

"Right. I just thought that would help with the pain of losing Prim." Peeta's eyes start to glisten.

"You haven't mentioned her much. Not while you're awake anyway."

"What?"

"When you're dreaming, you call out her name. I'll hug you tighter and you calm down, but you're always shaking even though you don't wake up." He pulls me up into his lap, rubbing my belly. "I think there's a lot you're not telling me yet."

"I'm not ready to." He nods, understanding. "You're too good to me, Peeta."

"Not really, just love you is all." I smile and kiss him tenderly on those full pink lips of his. There's a light knock on the door before we can go any further. He rolls his eyes and calls out, "Come in!"

To my surprise, it's Gale. He has a bow and single arrow, my bow. "Can I talk to her alone for a moment?"

Peeta makes to get up, sliding me onto the chair in the process. He kisses the top of my head and walks out. I decide to stand and lean against the desk instead. Gale looks at me and I just look right back.

"Will you ever forgive me?" He asks and I raise my eyebrows.

"For which? Killing Prim or hitting Peeta?" He looks down at his feet, kicking the thick carpet.

"Both? Either?" He looks back up at me. "I didn't know Prim would be there, that's not my fault."

"Yet it was your idea that got blown up anyway." He winces at my words, knows they're the truth.

He nods and adds, "As for Peeta, I thought it'd be better if he was wounded, would get taken to the hospital with you. That's what you want, right? To always be with him now?"

"I love him and yes, I will always want to be with him. I'll forgive you for his concussion, but not Prim, not yet."

He nods again, hands me my bow, and gives me a sad smile. "Right through the eye." And he leaves.

Peeta must have been standing on the other side of the hallway, because he comes in quickly. "Anything I need to know?"

"He hit you so you would get sent to the hospital with me." I look up at Peeta, holding my bow between us. He only nods his head.

"He didn't have to hit me so hard though." He replies with a slight smile.

Before I know it, Effie is back and is walking us to the execution platform. It's actually just a wide balcony high above the waiting people below us, so that everyone can see. I notice that there are huge screens already aimed at it, no one will miss my shot to Snow's heart. Peeta stands next to Haymitch. All of the remaining victors all lined up on one side and then I notice Snow standing by himself across from them, across from me. He has a single red perfect rose in his lapel and is still restrained in manacles. Coin is between us, facing the audience that are noisily waiting for my arrow to be shot. She nods to me and I look at Snow.

He isn't scared, doesn't seem sad that his life is about to end. I think of what he said to me the day earlier, about Coin taking Peeta away from me again. She could do it, I think that she would do it to teach me specifically. I never agreed with her about redoing the Games and she's wanted me dead for so long now. When I pull back the arrow, my bow vibrating in hands, all I think is that we will be free now.

I watch in dazed state as her body crumples forward and the screams seem so distant. Hands pull me away and I am all of a sudden in the hallway, taking one last look at Snow, who has disappeared amongst the soldiers crowding the balcony, but hear his laughing and coughing as I am rushed away.


	16. Chapter 16

Peeta, Haymitch, and I all wait shakily in the room we were given. I can't stop shaking and Peeta is holding me, running his hand over my hair, telling me it'll all be okay. Haymitch is at the desk chair, his head in his hands, mumbling something inaudible. All of a sudden, the door bursts open and Johanna rushes in.

"Holy crap! That was great! Everyone's going crazy out there! I can't believe you did that!" She's practically bouncing off the floor, she's so excited. She finally settles on the edge of the bed, but is fidgeting a lot. "Wow! Killed the new president! Holy crap you've got guts!"

She starts giggling hysterically. Haymitch is looking at her with wide eyes, "Shut up! We have to figure out what they might do to her for this!"

"You think they'll kill her?" Peeta asks softly, his hand stopping on my head.

Haymitch shakes his head. "I don't know. A lot of people are, were, against Coin, but killing her? What were you thinking, Sweetheart?"

"I don't know. I don't remember. I talked to Snow last night and he said he hoped that she wouldn't take Peeta away from me again. I know she'd do it. I know she'd hurt me using Peeta. I know she would have." My voice is low and insecure. Peeta turns me to him,

"You did this because of what Snow said?" He's really worried now.

"Not just that. She was going to kill children again and I know she would have hurt you if she had the chance. That's why she let me come here, she was hoping I would die and Gale knew it! He told me that he hit you to basically protect you, us, from her. She wanted us to get killed!" I'm standing up now, pacing the floor. Everyone is watching me, again. "What do you think they'll do to me?"

"You're a symbol to these people, even the Capitol people. They all love you." Johanna is finally still. "They won't let anyone kill you, especially when you got rid of the one person who could have made their lives miserable."

Haymitch nods his head. "She's got a point. People fell in love with you the first time they saw you on fire and even more when Peeta confessed his love. The berries cinched it and what happened in the Quell was icing on the cake."

Peeta gets up from his seat and comes to me, stopping me from pacing. He outs his hands on my shoulders, "They do love you, and they won't let you die."

I look at his blue eyes. He wouldn't lie to me. Haymitch would if he had to, but he doesn't have to and has usually told me the truth when it mattered. Johanna's just here. I nod my head. "I won't run from them when they come. I'll stand trial if that's what they want."

"They won't kill you. Especially since you're carrying my baby," Peeta says warmly, his large hands covering my plump belly. He smiles and whispers, "And they really love me."

I laugh, which was probably his intention. There's a knock at the door. Haymitch goes to it and takes a peek through the barely open door. Then he opens it all the way. It's Gale. Why would Gale come to get me? His face is serious when he walks in and looks at all of us.

"I was told to tell you all to stay here. You're not to leave the mansion until we decide what to do with you." He says in an official tone.

""We'? Who's we?" I ask him.

"It doesn't matter. The same people who tried Snow and all the other Capitol people will try you as well." With that, he takes his leave and Haymitch closes the door after him. I look at Peeta and then Haymitch.

"Do you know who these people are?" I direct the question to Haymitch.

"Well, just that Coin was a part of it. I never met anyone else, though I probably met them without knowing it. I'm sure many of them had to do with revolution."

"Should I be scared?" He ponders this a moment, which doesn't help me feel settled.

"I don't think so. Many of the people I met like you, what you stand for, and I just told you all of this." He reminds me. I nod and sit down on the bed.

The next morning, I wake up in Peeta's arms, which is quite usual. What's not is seeing Haymitch drooling on the desk, fast asleep sitting in the chair or Johanna knocked out on the floor. It's almost laughable that we all spent the night together. I feel Peeta stir and know he knows I'm awake. I slide myself out of bed and go into the bathroom. Just as I'm about to sit down on the toilet, the door opens and Peeta slips in. I just shake my head,

"Not going to let me out of your sight, are you?"

"No way. I'll start the shower and grab some clothes for us." He slips out again and I take care of my business before he comes back in.

We take a quick shower and dress in the bathroom before Johanna starts knocking on the door noisily and yelling she "Has to go now!"

We all eat our breakfast in relative silence that is delivered by some unnamed soldier. Haymitch is mumbling again, wishing someone would find him some booze, though he seems to be doing so well without it. We don't have much time to discuss anything when there's a knock at the door almost as soon as we're done eating. Johanna bounces up from the floor and opens it while I sit wearily on the bed. It's Gale again.

"I need you to come with me, Katniss. The council wants to talk to you." Peeta helps me off the bed and is right behind me, when Gale says, "Just her. You weren't invited."

"I don't think that's a good idea. I'm going with her." When he tries to go through the door, Gale puts his arm across Peeta's chest.

"I told you that you need to stay here. I won't let them hurt her. I can promise you that much." And he walks me down the hallway. I take a look back and Peeta is standing by our door, watching me leave. I see fear and sadness on his face and I'm more worried about him than I am at whatever I'm heading to.

I don't say anything to Gale and won't look at him. We stop in front of the same doorway that Coin had the last meeting in. Before he opens the door, Gale turns to me and says,

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry about Prim. I'm sorry I came up with the idea and I'm sorry she died because of it." And then he opens the door and I walk in. I see a few familiar faces; Boggs, Beetee, and Soldier Jackson. Most of the people I recognize, but don't know their names. It seems like I knew them, their faces, from the Games, the council that judged our talents.

"Miss Everdeen, please take a sit." A woman at the head of the table says. She's around my mother's age, but dark-haired like me. I sit down at the empty chair farthest away from her. "Don't worry, Miss Everdeen, you're not in trouble, not really."

I lean back in the chair, not in trouble? I'm sure my face is showing my curiosity.

"You actually did us a favor. Coin let us know about the Games she had planned. That wouldn't really be the best way to start a new era, now would it?" I shake my head and she keeps going. "Well, by you killing her, we can get started on rebuilding all of the districts that we destroyed and we have plans of building up a new transit system between the districts. We want everyone to be able to decide where they would like to live, work, raise their families with no worries about where their next meal will come from."

"How is that possible?" I have to ask.

"It's been done before. We have history books that tell us it worked, but we will have to make sure there is enough for everyone and that everyone is treated fairly. What do you think about that?"

"So, I'm not in any trouble, really?" She laughs and there all smiles on all the rest of the faces as well. I feel the weight that was unknowingly on my shoulders lift.

"No, as a matter of fact, you and your friends can leave tomorrow. There will be trains leaving to each district every few hours. You can go back to your room now." I start to stand up and remember something.

"What happened to Snow? I couldn't see anything when I was pulled away."

"Oh, well, that got a little messy. He choked on his own blood and died still handcuffed." She says calmly. I nod my head, and leave. Gale quietly walks me back to my room. Before we round the last corner, he turns to me and says,

"I'm not going back to District 12." I don't say anything and he continues, "They've offered me a job in District 4."

"Good for you." He nods and I know that I probably won't ever see him again. He gives me a tight hug all of a sudden, to the point where I have to tell him to let go as the baby is kicking wildly in my stomach. He walks away and I go to my future.


	17. Chapter 17

Two months later, we were in our own home with a nursery just waiting to be filled with our baby's noises. Peeta had built a new bakery and was there five days a week, while letting other people of District 12 run it the other two days. On the two days he was away from the bakery, he came with me to hunt. He didn't like the idea of me being in the woods alone when I was so close to my due date. It was a comfort that we didn't need to rely on the game as much, though I would catch and kill enough to feed multiple families. We gave most of it to Greasy Sae and she used it to make food for the families coming back to the district.

A new, cleaner, nicer version of the Hob was rebuilt as well and the more people came back, the more there was to trade. The coal mines were reopened and new safety measures installed to ensure everyone's well-being. Men and women from other districts started to slowly fill up the houses being rebuilt also. They came in knowing other trades, like growing crops and working steel, training those who wanted to learn and learning about coalmining too. The plan that the new council had was already going into affect and everyone seemed a lot happier. I heard of no discord among the districts and when Effie would come calling, all she could give us were all the good reports coming out of the Capitol.

Due to the new transit system, Johanna came by every other weekend and I would go hunting with her while Peeta worked at the bakery. We were coming back to the house one late afternoon when she asked me,

"What will you do once the baby comes?" Four squirrels were dangling from her shoulders and a knife in her belt loop.

"What do you mean?" I ask her back, holding three rabbits of my own on my shoulders. Ever since the Capitol bombed different districts, the game has been booming from losing their homes as well.

"Well, you can't take a baby hunting? Will you stop?"

"No. Peeta and I already talked about it. I'll take a break for the first couple of weeks and the two days that he would normally go with me now, he'll stay home with the baby instead and I can go hunt by myself." The truth of it was we were still discussing it.

"Wow and he's okay with that? Staying home with a baby all by himself?" Johanna starts fiddling with one of the dead squirrels tails.

I look over at her and shrug my shoulders, "Of course. Tell the truth, I think he's more excited about this baby than I am. He talks to my belly every night, says he's 'introducing' himself to the baby."

Johanna laughs loudly. "Has he 'introduced' other parts of himself as well to the baby?"

I feel the heat rise up my neck and into my cheeks quickly, knowing Johanna's dirty mind. All I managed to mumble is, "None of your business."

She laughs again and replies, "Then that's a yes." Then lowering her voice as if anyone's around us, "Be honest. Is it better when you're pregnant?"

"Johanna!"

"Oh come on! I've heard women talk and some of them say its way better when they're pregnant because of the sensitivity. Course, I guess that could go the other way too."

My cheeks grow even hotter as she watches me. I refuse to answer her, so she basically has her answer. When we walk through the back door of the house, Peeta is already home, getting dinner ready. He washes his hands and comes to me, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. His blue eyes take in my red cheeks and he gives me a questioning look but when I shake my head, he leaves it alone. He takes the rabbits from me and the squirrels from Johanna.

"Good haul today ladies. What would we like tonight, rabbit or squirrel?" Both of us say rabbit and he takes them back outside to rid them of their skins and gut them. Johanna follows him and will run the squirrels over to Greasy Sae when he's done with them, and I go up to take a shower. My back is enjoying the pounding of the water and I roll my head under it as well. Peeta's voice startles me when he asks,

"So what was with the blushing cheeks when you two came back?" He leans up against the wall away from the water, so I can see him.

"Nothing. Johanna asking dirty questions as usual." I start to lather shampoo into my hair, wishing I had let Venia cut it before we left the Capitol. Peeta's face disappears for a second and then he is climbing into the shower with me. "What are you doing?"

"I feel dirty." He answers with a sexy smirk. I can't help but smile too and quickly rinse off my hair.

"Did you lock our bedroom door?" I ask as he starts kissing my neck, running his hands down the front of my body. My breasts are a little bigger, getting ready to feed our child and he lifts one in his palm as if to weigh it, rubbing my nipple with this thumb.

"Yea….oh God, Katniss," he takes in a deep breath as I take his already hard member in my hand. I start to maneuver my own palm back and forth on him and I swear he's getting bigger in it. All of a sudden, he has me lifted in his arms and is carrying me into the bedroom.

Dripping wet, he lays me down carefully on the bed so that my legs are over the edge and he is standing right in between them. With one skillful push, he is inside of me, his groans matching my moans thrust for thrust. I feel that wonderful fire building within me and let it flow out from me, enveloping every sense I have. All I can see, hear, feel, taste, and smell is Peeta. He is standing above me so that we can see each other's responses. He lifts my legs so that my ankles are on his shoulders and every last bit of his manhood is buried in me. The water from the shower is mixing with sweat on his brow and I can feel my body tensing. I know he is getting close when he rolls his blond head back and starts pumping into me harder and slower. I let myself go and yell out his name when I feel that heated explosion within me and barely feel when he comes into me.

He pulls out and lies down beside me, pulling my body up onto the bed also. "Oh my God, Katniss, that was great. Quick, but great."

I giggle as I roll into his arms, my bulging belly keeping me from getting too close to him. "That was great."

I hear a door slam shut downstairs and know we finished just in time. I try to heave myself back up and Peeta needs to help me. "I'm going to actually take my shower if that's okay."

He gives me another devilish smile and hits my butt as I walk away from him. I wash myself quickly and put on a light summery dress. As I walk downstairs, I hear Johanna laughing and I hear Haymitch's voice as well.

The table is already full with our dinner platters. I guess Peeta had the rabbit cooking before he came up and made sure not to burn it as well. He does make a pretty good roasted rabbit meal. I notice that as usual, there is a dessert waiting on the counter, covered so I can be surprised. He started doing this almost as soon as we moved into the house.

Haymitch is pouring himself a big glass of what looks like wine and Johanna fills her glass about half way with the same. Peeta sets a glass of iced tea in front of my seat as well as his and dinner is ready.

"So, Haymitch, what brings you over tonight?" I ask him, having finished a delightful spoon full of rabbit and potatoes.

"Eh, Johanna saw me at the Hob and invited me over. Sounded tasty, so I figured what the hell?" He takes a big gulp of his wine, pours more into the glass. Johanna laughs at him and says,

"He saw me talking to Sae and asked what you else you caught today." I nod my head, that sounds more like him.

We continue eating, chit-chatting about the new line of houses being built in what was the Seam and how District 7 is sending lumber over to help with it. Johanna is seeing a man, whose name she won't divulge, but I can tell she's happy with him. He gets her humor and why she isn't used to being attached to anyone, though he considers us to be her family of sorts. Haymitch mentions that he may be raising geese, he hasn't fully decided on it.

When Peeta finally unveils tonight's dessert, I am excited. He has made my favorite, chocolate cake with a strawberry cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries on top. I'm just about to take a bite when I feel the baby give a sharp, hard kick. When my hand flies to the spot, Peeta sees this and asks,

"Are you okay?" He puts his hand over mine. I pat it and reply,

"Yeah, apparently the baby wants dessert too." And I giggle when there's another kick. Practically the whole time we're finishing up dessert, the baby is kicking me with full force. I excuse myself to the bathroom and carefully make my way to our bedroom one instead of the small one off of the kitchen. Peeta and Johanna's eyes follow me until I'm gone.

I sit down on the toilet, thinking that the pressure I feel is just the baby sitting on my bladder as usual. I manage to get a few meager drops out and wipe myself. When I stand back up, I double over in pain.

"Holy crap!" I grab my stomach, the baby is kicking, but there's a pressure following every kick as well. I try to stand up again, but the kicking and tightening of my belly keeps me on all fours and I crawl out into our bedroom. "Ouch, oh my God!"

Thankfully, I hadn't closed our bedroom door and I hear Peeta bounding up the steps, smaller, quieter ones after him. He rushes into the room, sees me and drops to the floor.

"Katniss? What's wrong, is it the baby?" Johanna is standing in the doorway, dumbstruck. I've never seen her so clueless.

"Yeah! I think this baby is ready to come out!" I pronounce, just as another wave of contractions hits me. Peeta tries to lift me up and I hit him away, "No, leave me here, it feels better!"

"I've called the doctor, he's on his way!" Haymitch calls up. Did he hear me tell Peeta? No, he must have figured it out from the screaming. "I'll stay down here to let him in."

Peeta tries to lift me again and I cry out. Being on my knees is giving me at least a little bit of relief and I don't think I want to be on my back. As I'm thinking about this, another wave of contractions hit me. I'm surprised, I didn't think it would happen so fast. Just as he gets me to the bed, I feel a gush of liquid come out of me. I hear Johanna make a squeamish sound and yell at her to go since she's not helping. How is it that someone who has killed and seen people be killed can't take a pregnant woman in labor?

I'm grabbing the pillows closest to me and scream into one while gripping the other tightly. Peeta is unsure what to do until he gives me his hand and then I focus on squeezing that. I see his grimace, but he says nothing since he can see the obvious pain I'm in. I see Johanna peeking in by the doorway and she moves when the doctor comes in. He has a black bag and is apparently ready to go. I wish I was.

The doctor pulls some tools out of his bag and puts on a pair of gloves. He slides my panties down and flops the soaked garment on the floor. He has just barely opened my legs when he looks at me and says, "Well, you're fully dilated and ready to go. Peeta, count to ten while Katniss pushes. Pull your legs back, yes like that, Peeta grab one for her please. Is Miss Johanna going to help or not?"

"Not!" And I hear her run down the stairs to wherever Haymitch is.

Peeta puts his arm under one of my legs and I wrap my hand under the other. Looking at the doctor for our cue, I pull back and start to push. This fire that's burning me is nowhere near as delicious a feeling as the one I had earlier today. I grunt as Peeta counts, wishing he would count quicker. I take a deep breath in and barely have any time before the doctor tells me to push again. Is it supposed to be this quick? Why is this baby so eager all of a sudden? Somewhere in between the counting and pushing for the fourth time, I hear the doctor ask Peeta what I did today.

"Well, she went hunting with Johanna and ummm…" his voice becomes a whisper before he finishes the sentence, "And we had sex."

"That'll do it. Sometimes I tell patients who are overdue to have sex. Something in the semen gets things going." He nods at me to push again. "The head's almost out Katniss. Peeta, do you want to take a look?"

I watch as Peeta shifts himself on the bed, feeling oddly exposed as he looks. His smile is all I need though to keep going. "The baby has dark hair like you." He gets back into his position holding my leg and I push, feeling the sensation of more stretching and burning. The doctor holds up a finger and I pause, breathing in deeply a few times before he tells me to push again.

More stretching, a lot of burning. I'd take the fire that gave me scars over this any day. Those seemed to disappear much quicker. Finally, the rush of feeling emptied as I see the doctor pull the baby away from my body. I watch, waiting to hear the cries and just as he announces, "It's a girl!" The baby screams and I laugh while crying at the same time.


	18. Chapter 18

The doctor cleans the baby's mouth and lets Peeta cut the umbilical cord while I just lay there and watch. I'm so exhausted. I'd heard many sad stories growing up in the Seam about mothers dying right after giving birth, but that was because there was no food or the mother was already sick. It was the same with the babies. I'm neither, but I feel like I could pass out at any moment. When Peeta gently lays our daughter on my chest, I feel a second wind and the doctor tugging on me again. When I look over at him, he tells me that I have to push one last little time to get the placenta out. I do as he says, feel it pass, and try not to look at the bloody mess that it is.

After he's done giving me a couple of stitches, I focus on getting the baby to latch on to my nipple. Once she does I gasp at how strong of a grip she has with no teeth. It feels as though she does, she's clamped on so strongly. Peeta watches on, rubbing her dark hair with one finger as she feeds, smiling and cooing at her. Once the doctor leaves the room, Johanna and Haymitch slowly come in.

"Well, she looks like she's enjoying her first meal." Johanna says, breaking the silence. I laugh and the baby breaks away at the sound. It's then that I notice just how blue her eyes are. I smile at her and then up at Peeta.

"She has your eyes." He gets in close to look and his grin goes even wider.

"What's her name?" Asks Haymitch, trying not to get too close while the baby has latched herself back to my breast. Peeta and I look at each other, we hadn't really decided on a name yet. "You two haven't picked a name yet?"

"No." Peeta answers softly, his attention solely on his daughter. As he's rubbing his finger over her hair and it's drying more, I see that it's not as dark as I thought, but still not as blond as Peeta's. She pulls her tiny little lips away from me and just looks at me.

How is it possible to love someone so intensely after just ten minutes of knowing them? Her blue eyes are just like Peeta's, deep and beautiful and seeming to look right into my soul. She is her father and I am so in love. "I want to name her Arianna, maybe Ari for short?"

"That's pretty. Where'd you come up with that?" Peeta asks me. I shrug my shoulders.

"I heard it once when we were in the Capitol, I thought it sounded nice." I put my finger in her tiny little hand and she grips it tightly.

"I think she likes that name." Peeta says with a smile. I nod and we have our daughter's name.

Haymitch leaves, saying that he will call my mother. With everything happening so quickly, I had completely forgotten about her. With the thought of her though, thoughts of Prim crept in as well. I felt the tears well and fall onto my cheeks.

"Why are you crying? She's perfect." Peeta asks, putting his arms out to take her. I carefully hand her over to him. He was born to be a father; it shows in how he holds her so close and kisses her forehead. If I could draw like him that is the picture I would do. I may have been born to be a survivor, but he was born for everything else and I think that our daughter will inherit all of it.

"Can I hold her?" Johanna asks, coming close to the bed, standing behind Peeta. He turns and places her gently into Johanna's cradled arms. She looks nervous, which makes me want to take Ari back, but then Johanna rocks her back and forth and says, "I'm your Aunt Johanna, and I will show you how to kick any guy's ass."

Peeta and I laugh. She would say that to a 15 minute-old baby girl. Haymitch comes back up and informs us that my mother will be on the next train and be here in a few hours. He will do us the favor of picking her up so that we can get cleaned up and maybe get a nap in. I feel very ready to sleep, but don't know if that will happen or not until Peeta says that he will help me get clean and get me into bed.

"What do I do if she cries?" Johanna asks, her eyes going wide. Ari is already falling asleep, so I don't foresee any issues for at least the first hour.

"I'm just going to help Katniss bathe and then get her into bed. It won't be that long." With that, he lifts me up and brings me into the bathroom, while I watch Johanna take a seat in a chair in the corner of the room.

After setting me gently on a luckily padded chair, Peeta starts up the shower. This will technically be my third one today. He helps me out of my dress, I'm so glad I didn't wear pants to dinner. As I'm watching him check to make sure the water is okay, I try to stand up on my own and he glares at me.

"Katniss, really? Let me take care of you." He puts his arms out and I grab them, holding myself steady. "I'll lift you in there so you don't have to lift your leg."

He does lift me into the shower and the water feels just as good as it did a few hours ago. I let it run over me, and put my hands up against the wall. I'm so tired again, but feel rather dirty, even though the doctor did clean me a little. I run my hands over my stomach, surprised at how deflated it has become, though I was told it would happen. I actually feel fat even though I didn't when I was carrying Ari. I knew that I was holding a life inside of me and that made me feel fine with gaining weight, but my stomach looks so weird to me now.

I grab the soap and a hand towel and start washing myself. I'm sore, which I expected too, though this soreness is different from any other that I've had. Scratches, burns, stings, cuts, first time sex, inhaling toxic fumes, deeper cuts, more burns. I've known a lot of pain in my life, but this one is oddly the most rewarding. Ari came out beautiful and healthy and she's all ours. I'm thinking about how she will get to grow up not having to live in fear of possibly being picked out of dozens of other children and try to kill them to survive, when Peeta pops his head in,

"Are you doing okay? Do you need help at all?" He looks at me with so much love and concern in those blue eyes he has passed down to our daughter. How did I ever not love him? How could I have been blind for so long? I shake my head.

"I'm almost done. You can probably help me dry off; get some lotion on my back?" He nods and puts the shower curtain back in its place.

I turn off the shower a few minutes later and when I pull the curtain back, he is there waiting with a giant fluffy towel in his hands. He dries me off while I'm still standing in the tub and helps me out when it's time to get my feet. I have no idea what time it is, but the full day is wearing on me. He gets me all lotioned up and even helps get me into my underwear and nightgown. When I walk slowly out into the bedroom, I see that the sheets have been changed and now Haymitch is holding Ari.

"Where's Johanna?" I ask, surprised that Haymitch looks quite comfortable with the baby.

"She went to go make some tea and no doubt getting herself something to eat." Haymitch makes a funny face at Ari and smiles, "You know, she's pretty cute."

"She's not just cute, Haymitch, she's beautiful." Peeta replies, helping me into the very soft bed. I could knock out instantly if it wasn't for Haymitch handing me my daughter.

"She's looking for food and I've got nothing." I smile and giggle when I see Ari's dark little head searching Haymitch's chest and hear her whimper frustration. I take her in my arms and Haymitch turns away quickly while I pull my breast out for her. Once he hears her suckling, he turns back to me and says, "I'm going to go clean up my house. Johanna will stay with me while your mother's here."

Peeta and I look at our former mentor. "What? You don't have enough rooms for both of them and Johanna isn't leaving yet."

"But you're going to clean your own house?" Peeta asks, suppressing a laugh.

"Shut up! Actually, I called Hazel and she's been here and is working on my place now."

We both give a long nod. That explains why the sheets have been changed and the room doesn't look like I gave birth in it. He gives us a scowl and then stomps away. Just as he leaves, Johanna returns with two mugs in her hands.

"Okay, I'm guessing Haymitch already told you two I'll be at his place? So here's your tea and I'm going to pack my stuff up." She sets the mugs down and as she walks back out, says, "If you need anything in the next fifteen minutes, just yell."

For the first time the whole night, Peeta and I are left alone with our daughter. He climbs into the bed next to us and while putting one arm around my shoulders, he starts to rub her hair with one finger again.

"She's so beautiful, Katniss." He says faintly, kissing my forehead. "I mean, it makes sense, her coming from you and all…"

"But her eyes are all you and that's the most beautiful part to me." I finish. He just smiles at me.

"But she'll be like you and look like you and I'm going to have to try not to kill any boy who comes calling on her." He retorts. I laugh, apparently too loudly, because Ari pulls her mouth away and looks at us. She's only an hour old but seems to have quite the personality already.

"Well, if she finds a boy who's as good as her father, than you can't touch him." He looks into my eyes and I want to melt right now. I love them both so much.

Peeta thinks about for a moment and then nods his head. "Yeah, I'll give him a chance, but no guarantees that I won't at least threaten him. Course, I guess if she's like you that probably won't matter."

"My father would have liked you. I think he did like your father and brothers, from what I remember." I look down at her again; she's reattached herself to my nipple and sucking away. In barely a whisper, I say, "He would have fallen in love with her so quickly. Prim would've too."

He hugs my body to his side, trying not to disturb Ari. "I know, Baby, I know. I wish my father and brothers could have met her."

"Your mother too, right?" I know that she was a mean woman, but he should include her.

"Yeah, I guess. But it's my brothers and mostly my father who I miss the most. He never hit me." This is the first time that I've ever heard Peeta say it out loud. I know his mother beat him, but he's never actually said it to me before.

I just nod my head and lean it into his shoulder. He puts his head on top of mine. My parents never once hit me, well, my mother, but just that one and only slap to the face. I couldn't even imagine what it would have been like for Peeta and wondered if she hit his brothers too, but know that now is not the time to ask.

"Let's make a vow right now that we will never hit our child. No matter what she does or how much she might deserve it." I say to him. He nods his head and then says,

"Just the one child? You don't want to have any more?" He asks, lifting his head from mine.

"Well, at the moment, no. Talk to me again about it in a few years." I reply and see the smile creep onto his face. I know he'll want more and I'm not afraid like I was before. Ari unlatches herself again and her eyes flutter close. Peeta takes her from me and as I snuggle down into the bed, I watch him kiss her head and put her into the bassinet someone gave us when we had gotten back to District 12. He crawls back under the covers with me and pulls me into his arms. I fall asleep listening to his heart beating, knowing that for right now, our life is perfect.


	19. Chapter 19

Ari is an almost perfect little baby. The problem is that she's most definitely part me and so she is already showing signs of how stubborn she'll be as she grows up. She hits all her milestones quicker than most too, which is scary. Breast milk doesn't fill her long enough and she starts eating cereal by the time she hits three months and her teeth start popping in not long after. The doctor tells me that as long as she keeps growing and nothing seems to bother her, than go ahead and give her what she wants. After so long of not having any food, something she'll thankfully know nothing about, I'm being told to give my baby anything and everything as long as she keeps it down and her diapers are regular.

She was holding her head up very well by the end of the second week after I gave birth. She sees everything that goes on around her and is curious too. Ari lets you know, loudly, if she can't see what you're doing because she wants to see it all with those big blue eyes of hers. When Peeta takes her to the bakery, he makes sure that she is on top of the counter, so that she can turn her head either to the door and watch people coming in and leaving or turn and watch him baking. When he has her in the back, she sits right on top of the same table he's at so she can watch him decorate cakes and cookies.

The first time I left to go hunting was hard for me; I didn't want to leave her at all. Of course I knew she was perfectly safe with her father, but something in me felt that she should be with me. I ended up making a special sling for her so I could tote her with me. The first time she cried out, I shoosed her and warned her to be quiet. She never made a peep after that, like she could really understand me. She wasn't even a month old.

By the time six months rolls around, I've had to cover any and all outlets in the house, raise the curtains higher than normal, and make sure all the cabinets are locked. She kept pulling herself up and trying to pull things down, open doors, causing havoc when she's gotten into the lower drawers and baskets. The look she gave me the first time she realized there were stairs and that this would be her new challenge, I couldn't help but laugh even though I was scared and made Peeta make a gate for them. Ari was pretty pissed about that. But then she has this laugh that no one can help but smile at and usually join in with that laughter.

So, I'm not too surprised that she takes her first steps a month before her first birthday. Peeta and I are in the kitchen, getting dinner ready, when we both turn at her giggle. Ari is just standing up at first and looking at us, takes a shaky, timid step. We both clap and start to go to her, when she takes another one and we both freeze. Her chubby little feet look like they're heavy to her and it looks cute and funny when she lifts one again to take another step and then she falls on her bottom.

Peeta gets to her first and lifts her up and gives her a tight hug, while I hug both of them.

"Good job, Arianna! Good job my baby girl!" He exclaims, kissing her chubby little cheeks until she starts giggling and wiggling her tiny body in his arms. He passes her to me and all I can do is hold her and smile, tears welling up.

I put my forehead against hers and tell her quietly, "Good job, my little girl."

She smiles at us and points to the floor. She wants to try it again and as soon as I set her down on her feet, she takes a couple of wobbly steps. She goes to the cabinet and starts pulling at the handle. I laugh and tell her, "Just because you can walk doesn't mean you're getting in there."

She cries out in frustration and we both laugh. Haymitch walks through the door; he usually comes over for dinner now. He stands in between us and looks down at her.

"Well, I guess I better call Effie and tell her to start sending her some shoes." I nod and Peeta goes back to making dinner. I set the table, watching Ari play with Haymitch. He is pretty much her uncle, as he has been drinking a lot less and really seems to have taken a shine to her. She calls him "Itch." All of a sudden the phone rings and startles all of us. Ari cries a little, the phone hardly ever rings and when it does, it's usually in the morning.

I go to it, since Peeta is ready to serve dinner and Haymitch sets Ari in her highchair that Effie sent from the Capitol.

"Hello?" I answer, really, who could be calling? Johanna still comes every other weekend and if she doesn't come, she calls the morning of.

"Katniss Everdeen?" A woman's voice asks.

"Well, I'm Mellark now. I'm sorry, who is this?"

"My name is Dina. I'm the president's secretary."

I know my eyes must go wide at this and Peeta sees it and comes over, questions all over his face as well. "Yes. What can I do for you Dina?"

"Well, the president asked me to call you and inform you that she will be in District 12 in two days. She will be staying in one of the empty Victor houses next to you and she would like you and your family to join her for dinner the first night she's in."

"Do we have an option?" I dare to ask. Nothing, we've heard nothing from them for over a year now.

Dina gives a small chuckle, "No, I suppose not. There will be a staff coming in tomorrow to get the house ready for her. Just be aware. Dinner will be at six o'clock sharp the day after tomorrow. Thank you Mrs. Mellark. Good-bye."

Then there's the click of the line going dead and I hang up, looking Peeta in the eyes. "The president is coming to town and we have to have dinner with her in two days."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N - Sorry everyone, I was on vacation and didn't really have time to write while we were gone. Thank you for being patient :)**

We watch the Capitol people make their way into the empty house next to us the next day. There's a crew of fifteen people just to make sure that the President's stay is comfortable. I'm not sure how long she'll be here, you would think longer than a few days given all the extra things we see. What little I know about her, President Smithson was from District 5 and a lot of people looked up to her there and while she was gaining power in the Capitol. Apparently she's nice and she's not the same woman who had talked to me when I thought I might be killed for assassinating Coin. All this we find out from Johanna when I called to tell her the President was coming here. Johanna insists on coming, but I tell her that we'll be fine and I'll call her once the President is gone.

I grow more anxious as I see how many peacekeepers surround her house the day she arrives. No one has told us that we have to meet her at the train station, maybe she knows how unpredictable a baby can be and doesn't bother us with it. I don't know, I don't know if I really care. I make sure that Ari takes a good nap and is bathed and dressed in a nice outfit, courtesy of Effie of course. She wouldn't have Ari in just anything after all. She looks cute in just about anything, but this is a dark blue dress with little white flowers on it and matching pair of diaper covers. It makes her blue eyes stand out even more. Even I make sure to look extra nice, leaving my hair down and wearing a dress. Peeta looks as dashing as ever in a dark gray suit. It's actually the one he wore for our toasting ceremony after we had returned to District 12.

At five minutes to six, the three of us walk over to the house. Arianna has behaved exceptional well today and I'm a little afraid she might decide now's the time to act up. Peeta knocks on the door and a young blond woman in a crisp white outfit opens the door. She waves us in and shows us to the living room. We take a seat, Arianna between us, looking at her shiny patent leather shoes. The blond woman waits a moment for us to get settled and then asks,

"Would you like anything to drink? We have almost everything available and milk for the little girl, of course." Her voice sounds fake; she is a servant of some kind, not unlike the Avoxes, just with her voice still in tact.

I look to Peeta, he gives me a slight nod, and I pull Ari's sippy cup from our bag, "She drinks from this. I'll have iced tea, thank you."

"I'll have the same as Katniss, thank you." Peeta replies after me. She nods her head and disappears to the kitchen. Peeta and I look at each other and then to Ari. We both feel extremely odd and I know I have butterflies going and they aren't the happy kind that I get from being with Peeta.

Just as the servant is setting down our drinks, a tall, healthy-looking brunette walks in. The servant kind of does a little bow and goes back to the kitchen. Peeta and I stand up and he swings Ari into his arms. She turns herself to look at the woman. I don't recognize her, I had thought she would be the one who set me free after I killed Coin, but she's not. She gives us a warm smile that actually seems to reach her green eyes and holds her hand out to Peeta first,

"Hello, I'm President Smithson. I take it you are Peeta?" She gives his hand a good shake and then moves on to mine, "And you are Katniss?"

We both nod. We really have no clue as to why she wants to have dinner with us. "And this is?"

I shake my head out of its haziness, "I'm so sorry, this is our daughter, Arianna."

Ari flashes an adorable smile, one that she always gives when she hears her name being told to someone new. The President lets out a soft laugh and smiles back at her. "Just as captivating as her parents, I see. Come, let's sit down at the table and we'll start with the first course."

We follow her into the dining room. It's odd, it's the same layout as ours of course, but she's had some upgrades done in a small amount of time. The table and chairs are a deep cherry color, probably mahogany, and the cushions on those chairs a fresh ivory. I notice that they have set up a high chair for Ari and think how nice that is that they paid attention. I also notice that there are more than enough chairs for a few more guests.

"Please, sit down." She takes a seat at the head of the table of course and then I sit closet to her, while Peeta sits across from me, placing Ari in the high chair next to him. I hear footsteps from the hallway and all of a sudden, the President's face lights up. "Now, here comes my escort for the evening."

Both Peeta and I turn to the entrance of the dining room and I know we're both shocked when it turns out her 'escort' is none other than Gale. Peeta stands up from his chair and gives Gale a firm handshake and I rise halfway up when he comes to my side and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

"Surprised?" He asks and the President just laughs. I have to remind myself to close my mouth and take a look at Peeta, all kinds of questions in my eyes. "Yeah, I've been with Tess for about six months."

"Umm, sorry, congratulations?" I manage out. I have no idea what I'm supposed to say to him, to them. He smiles and shakes her head.

"No, I'm head of her guard, but when she has dinners to attend, I double as her date." He answers sincerely. He looks at Tess and I can see from that look alone that they are more then just employee and employer. How long that part of the relationship has been going on is another question for another time.

"Oh, well, that must be nice for you, President Smithson." I reply. We all take our seats and a salad is immediately put down in front of us. They have smartly given Ari a small bowl of chopped vegetables. She pops two pieces of carrot in her mouth and chops them noisily before Peeta can get a bib on her. I start to eat mine and let someone else start the conversation. Luckily, it's Gale again.

"So, you two have done well for yourself back here. I saw the bakery back up, Peeta." He takes a bite of his own salad and Peeta finishes chewing before he answers,

"Yes, it's been going very well. Arianna will know the ins and outs of the bakery by the time she's three at this rate." He looks at his daughter and she happily puts more food in her mouth. "She just started walking the other day, actually, when we got your call, Ms. President."

"Tess is fine, really. Both of you are guests here and I am happy that you could come despite the short notice. I know children can be a handful and quite unpredictable." She looks down at her salad, a sad frown plays on her mouth and then she quickly looks back up, "I'm sure you both wondered why I called you in the first place?"

Peeta and I share a glance at each other and then look to her. She smiles again, she seems nice enough. "Well, it's nothing bad, I assure you."

I take a deep breath and she lets a small giggle out. The sound makes her seem younger all of a sudden and I wonder how she was put in charge.

"Let me tell you first who I am. It seems that while you two were busy rebuilding your lives here and of course having the baby, a lot has changed in the Capitol. Did you even know that there was a new president?" She takes a bite of her salad and eats a few forkfuls while she waits for an answer.

Peeta takes that one, "No, sorry. We've deliberately tried to not know. I'm sure you understand why."

She nods, her short brown hair falling into her face. "Oh, yes, I do. You see, it was my mother who let you free, Katniss."

I'm more than sure my eyes go wide with this information, but all I get out of my mouth is, "Oh."

"Yes, she was quite sympathetic and for good reason. You weren't the only one of course who didn't like Coin's ideas. When we had heard of her plan for another set of Games, well, we were disgusted. Most of us anyway. There were a few who were fine with the killing of Capitol children, as if it was really justified. My mother was already a leader in her own right in District 5 and I was already making my name known, so it seemed natural to replace her when she said she didn't want to be in charge." Well, some daughters are really like their mothers. I wouldn't know personally. "Anyway, I was relieved when she said that they had decided to let you go after your….rather unexpected dismissal of President Coin."

I can't help but smile at her use of words. "Dismissal? I like that, may have to use that should anyone ask."

"By all means, you did the whole country a favor by doing what you did. I have a feeling Snow would have given up power easily had he not been heading for death already."

This dinner is going much better than expected and I finish my salad, no more butterflies in my way. The next course is served and I have to smile again when I see that it's my favorite dish from the Capitol, lamb stew with dried plums. There is an array of rolls to choose from as well and Peeta takes his time choosing his, looking at each one, probably getting ideas for the bakery. Ari is given much smaller amounts of the same foods, but toddler friendly. I don't know who the chef is, but they must have children and know that utensils are not big players in a toddler's hands. I notice Gale and Tess exchange a few glances and I share some myself with Peeta.

"So, you two made it official, huh?" Gale asks after a few bites of stew. I nod, as my mouth is full of this most decadent food.

Peeta nods his blond head and replies, "Yes, about a month after we got back. We did the traditional toasting ceremony and everything. There weren't many people here for it, but it made it that much more special."

"That's nice. I wondered if you two were going to bother since she was already pregnant and all." Gale says, shoving food into his mouth. My jaw drops just as Tess' does and she chides him.

"Gale! That was rude! Apologize please, as you have just offended not only my guests, but me as well." She sounds very much in charge and I can see that this is probably not the first time she has had to remind Gale about manners. He ducks his head for a moment and then looks directly at me and says,

"I'm sorry, Catnip." When he says my nickname that he gave me so long ago, he smiles. I know he didn't mean to be harsh with what he said, but the fact that he said it in front of her was shocking.

"It's okay." I look at Tess and nod, "Really, I know he didn't mean to it to be rude. I had never planned on marriage or children for that matter."

"Little did we know…" Peeta chimes in. "I guess all the rules change when one thing goes differently than planned."

I smile at him and reply to that with, "And what a wonderful rule change it was."

I'm only looking at Peeta's reaction to this, but can see out of the corner of my eye that Tess is smiling as well. She must either be a romantic or a sucker for cheesy lines. Doesn't matter, she's being nice to us and serving excellent food to boot.

"I have to ask, if you don't mind, if you didn't want children, why didn't you get rid of the baby when you had the chance?" She asks matter-of-factly.

Since I had already answered this question once before, it's easy again, "Once I knew that I was pregnant, I couldn't get rid of anyone who would be part Peeta. I didn't know he was still alive yet and it was even harder when I found out what had happened to him."

Peeta's head goes down and I know he's trying to not think about those months he was under Snow's imprisonment. When he raises his head again, his blue eyes are moist but he blinks the tears away quickly.

"That is so sweet. I thought that you loved him, in the first Games, I had figured you loved him just as much as he loved you." She responds. So, she's a romantic, that's admirable. "Even though I'd been very much against the Games, you two really made it worth watching. At the end, with the berries, oh my, I was tearing up so much!"

"Here we go again." Gale rolls his eyes. Evidently, this is not the first time she has mentioned this topic and I smile. Her following on how we were doing, just like other people, makes her much more…normal, on our level almost.

"Shut up, Gale." She responds to him, but with a smile. Clearly this is not something that she will drop yet. "Anyway, as I was saying, actually, more wondering, was it all real, because Gale says it wasn't?"

I look at Peeta and he waves his hand for me to tell the story. I clear my throat and start, "To be honest, not at first. I played along with what Peeta started by telling everyone in Panem that he loved me since we were what, six?"

He nods and smiles. I get the feeling that he now loves to hear this story; although he hated that I didn't love him right away at first. I continue with a question for her though, "When did you think that I really loved him?"

Tess smiles again and clasps her hands together in front of her mouth. Thinking about it, she answers, "When you called out his name after they announced that two could win."

"That's what a lot of people say actually. I didn't really truly fall in love with him until we were on the Victory Tour though. I know that I liked him more than I would let on, and don't get me wrong, Peeta has always been a wonderful guy, but I was very unsure of myself and what loving someone meant." I look over at him and there's a slight blush to his cheeks. "He taught me all about that though."

He scrunches his nose at me, letting me know that he's embarrassed but happy about it too. I look over at Gale and see that he has had no interest in this story at all and has been playing with the leftovers on his plate. The servant girl comes to clear our dishes, as we are obviously done, and then Tess suggests we all go out to the back porch for dessert.

"It's so pretty here, I can see why you two wanted to come back." She mentions to me as I get Ari out of her high chair. Peeta unruffles her dress and then places her on the floor to walk with us. She toddles after her father and Gale as they take the lead and Tess and I follow. We almost slam into the guys, as they have come to a complete stop right outside the doorway. I peek over Peeta's shoulder and what I have been dreading for the past year is standing right in front of us.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N - Some of you reviewers make me laugh, in the best way possible. I'm thinking that this will be the last chapter, but if there's a clamoring for more, I'll start up a new one :)**

Over Peeta's shoulder, I see about a dozen people, all of which look mad. Plus, they are all looking straight at the five of us. I scoop Ari into my arms and she holds her little arms out for Peeta. He takes her but keeps his stance in front of me.

One dark blond man in a been-through-hell dark suit steps forward and points his finger at us, "We just want her. Her alone."

Gale and Peeta turn to the President and then me. "The Mockingjay bitch! She took our lives away from us!" He screams at them.

I try to step forward, but Peeta blocks me and shakes his head at me. He looks back at the small crowd and states, "She saved your children from a fate that was unnecessary! She voted to keep the Games from happening to your children!"

That isn't true, I never actually said no when it came to my turn for explanation, but they don't need to know that. The older blond man speaks again, his voice even angrier. "She is the reason why we have to live the way….you all were living! Everything's all 'equal' now and I want my home back!"

The President suddenly laughs and steps forward, or as much as she can since Gale won't let her past him either. "That's why you want her? You seriously think that she had anything to do with how the Capitol is running now? She's young and what she did or didn't do had nothing to with what is happening now."

I'm so confused. Snow had thought that the trick with the berries was a slap in the Capitol's face, his face. I had thought that maybe it would keep us from having to kill one another. Peeta and hundreds of others, maybe thousands, thought it was because I loved him too much to live without him. I still don't even understand how it came to a revolution, but here we are.

"Listen, lady, just turn her over and we'll leave you alone!" Out of the corner of my eye, I see five of the President's guards coming around the corner stealthily. I carefully turn my head the other way and see three more coming around from the other side of the house. Now I'm grateful that she had so much detail with her.

"It's not going to happen, sir. I suggest you calm yourself and your cronies down before you get yourselves into even more trouble." He just gives her the finger and in seconds, all but four of them are on their knees, having been shot with taser guns. The four just look at their partners in crime and kneel down quickly. I guess that means that they won't cause a fuss. Gale steps aside and Tess walks down to them. Picking a young handsome-looking man, she asks him, "Why did you really come here?"

He looks up at her, his eyes are a weird almost purple color; they can't be naturally that way. His voice is shaky when he answers, "David told us that if we got the Mockingjay that we might be able to use her to get our lives back to what they were."

"Did he tell you that the reason your life is now the way it is because a majority of the people voted on it? Did he tell you that even many in the Capitol were very understanding in the new way of life?" Her voice is very calm, but authoritative too. I would have voted for her had I known what was going on, but we really wanted nothing more to do with politics.

He just shakes his sandy blond hair and tears start to well up in his eyes. "He's my uncle. He said that no woman should ever have that much control over so many people and that it was a huge mistake for so many to have fallen for her tricks." He points a finger at me.

"I realize that having a woman in charge is scary for many people, but like I already said, there were a lot who voted fair and square on who would be in charge. Get up, the four of you, please." Some of the others who were tased start to groan and roll around. Tess' guards are surrounding them, so there's no need to worry about them at all. The four all stand, three men, one woman. They all look like they could easily be related now that I am looking at them. "Did any of you vote? Have your say in any way?"

The woman and one man nod their heads and the other two shake theirs. The young man did not vote and I wonder why he's complaining, so I ask, "How can any of you be mad if you didn't even bother to vote on your options?"

Peeta has finally moved and I am standing next to him, though still on the porch. The young man looks at me, "I'm not old enough to. I'm only sixteen."

"So, you could have been reaped had Coin still been in charge and there were another set of Games? Would that really have been better? She had every intention of making your lives much harder than they are now, I guarantee it." I'm pretty sure that's how it would have been anyway. She had a vindictive side, that's for sure.

The young man cocks his head to the side, thinking about what I said. He shakes his head and looks down at the ground. "I didn't think about it like that."

"Of course not, you only know how to always get what you want; it's how you were raised." I can't blame him, not really. Ever since the Capitol became how it was, children there never knew anything different. He looks at me again and nods his head, then looks at Tess.

"What will you do to us?"

She looks at him and the rest, who are starting to sit up, rubbing various parts of their bodies that had been tased. "Well, you didn't succeed in your mission, but you knew that I was coming here to see the Mellark family. This is something new, we will all go back to the Capitol and have to see if there's anything on the books for a punishment."

"Wait! This was all David's idea! Why would the rest of us get into trouble too?" The woman asks.

"He may have been…..I dare say, brains, of the operation, but you all followed him from the Capitol to District 12 with the intention of doing harm to another." Tess explains, she looks back at us and winks at me. She's trying to scare them, maybe get more information from them. It's hard for me to keep my face blank, but I manage. I notice Ari starting to squirm in Peeta's arms and take her.

"But we weren't going to actually hurt her, just take her." The woman explains, as if that is a better idea.

Tess can't help the smile that creeps onto her face with that admission. "Well, now that just changes everything, right?"

The woman nods happily, stupidly really.

"I guess we'll just throw you in jail for attempted kidnapping. Yep, that works. Guys go ahead, round them up and get them to a locked cart on the train. They can wait there until I'm ready to leave." Tess clarifies. Her guard puts cuffs on everyone and walks them away to the train station. All twelve of my would be captors are shaking their heads. Not a good idea to come after someone who was having dinner with the most powerful person in Panem.

Tess clasps her hands together and bursts out in laughter. Gale smiles at her and goes down to her, while Peeta and I look at one another. Is she having a breakdown of some kind? We go down the steps to them and I let Ari down, she just plops herself down in the grass and starts to rip it up.

"Wow, I hate to say it, but some Capitol people really make me wonder." She explains between fits of giggles. "Some are just so dumb! I mean, really, coming after you when I'm here? Dear God, what were they thinking?"

I start to laugh with her and soon all of us are laughing. Ari just looks at us like we're all crazy. I guess my life was never really in any danger with Tess being here. We decide to go back inside for dessert. A simple apple pie with pecans in the crust. There's even ice cream, which we hadn't had since we left the Capitol, so it's a real treat. By the time we're done with that, Ari is covered in ice cream and we make our departure.

"I am sorry that our dinner was marred by a few idiots. They always have a way of ruining a nice time. There was one thing that I would like to ask the both of you though." She mentions as we are walking towards the front door. I turn to her and Peeta stops.

"You want us to do something for the Capitol, don't you?" I ask her. She nods and smiles,

"It's nothing too big. I just wanted to send a crew over here to show how well you two are getting on with your lives here in twelve. Just follow you around for a couple of days. A couple of camera people with you and a couple with Peeta, just doing what you two do naturally, everyday stuff. A lot of people are curious what's happened since you two came back here." She explains. That doesn't seem too bad, better than when we were being followed with cameras during our last outing in the Capitol.

I look at Peeta and he shrugs his shoulders, leaving me to answer. "I suppose, as long as whoever is with me is extremely quiet when I go hunting. I can't have noisy people with me while I'm doing what I do."

Tess smiles and grabs my hands. "Great! I'm so glad. I will personally pick the camera crew. I'll let you know when they're coming."

We start to head towards the door again and Gale holds it open for us. "Never a dull moment with you around, Catnip." He shakes Peeta's free hand, as he's holding Ari again and smiles at me. I guess he's happier now, and I have never been happier since we got back here.

As soon as we get home, Peeta takes Ari up to bathe her and get her ready for bed, while I call Johanna just as I promised. She starts laughing so loudly that I have to hold the phone away from my ear when I tell her about the wannabe kidnappers.

"What a bunch of dicks! Really, Katniss, they thought that you hold that much power over the new President? Idiots, the whole lot of them!" I'm so glad she can laugh at them. I have to admit to her that I was scared for a moment. What if they had gotten to me?

"That was never going to happen, Katniss. You know as well as I do, that Peeta would have dropped Ari off with Sae and come after you. That man would go to the ends of the Earth for you and back if that's what it took."

"True." I hear from behind me and Peeta wraps his arms around my middle. "Bye Johanna, she'll talk to you this weekend." He takes the phone from me and hangs it up. "I think it's time to show you just how much I love you, Mrs. Mockingjay."

Before I know it, he scoops me up and carries me up the stairs, kissing me deeply the entire way. It's going to be a great way to end this eventful night.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N - Here you go PeetasAndHerondales, some lemons for you ;) I will be working on at least one more chapter in the next few days!**

Five months later we get the call that the camera crew will be coming to see us in a few days. Apparently President Smithson was ecstatic when she heard I was pregnant again and decided it would be best to shoot with us then. I told her that my mood swings may have them thinking otherwise but she just laughed it off.

"Katniss, please, every pregnant woman has those moments! Please let them follow you now, then they'll leave and we'll contact you when the footage is edited. They won't stay more than three days, I promise." She said to me, happy as can be. She's never been pregnant apparently; otherwise she wouldn't be so excited to have me followed by cameras.

I give in anyway, it'll be over sooner rather than later and that's all I really want. "Alright, Tess, they can come and shoot us in our day to day. But really, you might want them to sign a waiver or something because I can get violent when I'm moody."

I'm really just teasing her and I think she knows it, because she laughs and answers, "I'll make sure there's a medic on hand just in case. Thank you Katniss and thank Peeta for me too. Everyone's so curious to see what you to have been up to, though I think the second baby will let them know."

"Bye, Tess. I'll see you soon, I'm sure." I say rolling my eyes.

"Good-bye, Katniss. Talk to you later." She hangs up, still giggling.

I roll my eyes again as I hang up the phone and wander to the backyard where Peeta and Ari are playing hide and seek. I can see Ari's chubby little leg sticking out from behind a bush while Peeta is sitting on the porch stairs counting loudly and dramatically enough to make Ari giggle.

"Ten!" He yells out, gets up, and walks around as if he can't hear her at all. "Where's Ari? I don't know if I can find her this time! Oh no, Mommy, do you know where Ari is?"

I just laugh at him and swat him away when he comes in for a kiss. "That is how we got this one." I tell him as he smiles and walks backwards towards the bush Ari is hiding behind. He keeps steadily stepping backwards until he gets to the bush and then all I see is a flash of purple as Ari darts out and runs laughing towards me.

"Mommy, Mommy! Daddy's going to get me!" She's yelling, a huge smile on her face. I love that she can have this much fun playing such a simple game and so glad that the Capitol has pretty much left us alone except for this team coming in. I can't complain though, it's been very quiet since Tess had been here. Well, in respect to people complaining; Ari on the other hand has definitely learned how to talk and she is almost never quiet.

She runs straight into my waiting arms and I lift her away just as Peeta gets within a foot of us, making sure he has his hands out as if to grab her. I just laugh along with them, it's too funny not to. Peeta makes a great father and though we weren't planning on Ari, she is a joy every day. Now, our second little surprise is due in five months and I couldn't be happier. Me, who never planned on having children, am going to have two before my twenty-first birthday. Oh well, I can't say I'm disappointed by it or how it happened and with who.

"Okay, are you two ready for lunch?" I ask, as Peeta takes Ari from me, tickling her in the process. She is never really still for long either, unless she's in the woods with me. She knows that she has to be quiet in there otherwise she can't come with me.

"Oooo, and what are we having today?" Peeta asks, heaving Ari onto his shoulders. She grabs his hair for support and I smile when he winces.

"I made some sandwiches from the leftover turkey from yesterday with the bread you made this morning. And we're going to eat the last of the strawberries. The season's pretty much done, though I'll see if there's any out there tomorrow." I tell him as we walk into the house. He dunks so Ari doesn't hit the doorframe and pulls her off once we're in the kitchen. Going straight to the sink, they both wash their hands and sit at the table, ready to eat.

"So, who called, I heard the phone ring?" Peeta asks after he finishes a mouthful of food.

I swallow mine as well and answer, "Tess, the camera crew will be here in a couple of days to start filming. She's really excited about this, as is apparently everyone else in Panem."

"Camera?" Ari asks, some food falling out of her little mouth.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, baby girl." Peeta tells her as he wipes her mouth. She just nods and takes a huge bite.

"Yes, Ari, some people will be here to follow us. They want to see what we do while we're at home and when we go to work." I explain to her. She hasn't seen us in any videos yet, I'm not ready to share those memories with her. Plus, I can tell Peeta is not overly anxious to share that either.

She finishes chewing her food and takes a gulp of water before she asks again, "They gonna follo mommy and dada?"

"Yes, baby girl. They want to see us and you of course. You will be in it too." Peeta answers, patting the top of her curly light brown hair. We thought she'd be blond like Peeta, but it started to darken up over the last winter, though nowhere near as dark as mine still.

"Oooo. Okay." She replies, as if she has any choice in the matter. I just smile at her and we finish our lunch.

Shortly after we're done, I set Arianna down for her nap and go into the living room, grabbing the book of plants my father made. I need to check on something before I go into the woods tomorrow. Peeta comes in and sits next to me, putting his hand on my already showing belly.

"I'm glad you got pregnant again so quick." He whispers. "I can actually be here for the whole thing this time around."

"The whole thing? Yeah, I'm sure the morning sickness was the best part of it." I reply back.

"Well, at least I am here this time and I can hold your hair back." He says, putting his lips on my neck and laying light kisses on it.

"Peeta, what are you doing?" I ask, knowing exactly what he's doing but always enjoying when he answers.

"Nothing." He answers, turning my head to face his and gives me a kiss that reaches down to my toes. He pulls back, his eyes shining with love and lust. "I'll stop if you want me to."

"Yeah, right." I respond, putting the book down and wrapping my arms around his neck. "When have I ever wanted you to stop?"

His eyebrow goes up and he smiles. "True, I am a magnet for your loving."

I can't help but laugh at him before his lips come crashing down on mine. Oh the fire in which he starts in me is almost indescribable. I gladly let him peel off my shirt and pants and just as eagerly remove his clothing.

"Want to take this upstairs?" He asks me, his voice all husky with desire.

I shake my head, "But you should probably make sure the doors are locked in case Haymitch decides to drop by."

He runs quickly to the back door while I lock the front. We meet back by the couch and start kissing again, just standing there in the middle. He carefully drops to his knees and kisses my belly. He looks up at me and says, "Sit down and enjoy."

I do and he stays kneeled before me. I unhook my bra and let it fall off and he quickly nuzzles his head in-between my breasts before taking a nipple into his mouth, while his fingers play with the other. While he switches sides, he runs his hand down my front to my waiting and wet entrance and he easily slides two fingers in. I gasp as I do every time, but every time is always just as exciting. I feel my back arching, pushing my breasts into his face all the more. His fingers work their magic, circling and stretching inside of me and I know I'm close.

Barely able to speak, I somehow manage to get out, "Peeta, inside of me, now."

He wastes no time pulling me down to the carpeted floor and doing exactly as I requested. I love the fullness of him inside of me, I feel whole. As he kisses me, I taste myself and revel in the fact that he enjoys pleasuring me. I push his head back so that he's looking down at me. I love his eyes, so beautiful, so blue; I could swim in them forever. We take our time making love, knowing that Arianna will be asleep for at least an hour.

I feel so much for this man and am forever grateful that he was given back to me. As I think about that, I feel the fire building in my stomach and his thrusts getting deeper and harder, knowing he's getting close too.

"Oh, Katniss!" He moans out as he releases into me and I follow two seconds later, calling his name out as well. He shudders against me as my walls close around his full member.

We lay there, panting on the floor, Peeta still inside of me as we try to catch our breaths. He slowly pulls out and rolls over on his side, keeping a hand on my belly while the other is under my head. "Do you think it will always be like this?"

"What?" I ask, ready to take a nap myself.

"Making love, do you think it will always be….so intense?" He asks again, rubbing my stomach.

I roll my eyes towards him and sleepily answer, "I have no idea, but I hope so."


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N - Sorry, it took so long, but inspiration has to be there to be any good! Enjoy!**

When the camera crew shows up a couple of days later, Ari is beside herself, wanting them to follow her. As anyone who's had kids knows, mommy and daddy are sooo boring. One of the cameramen falls for her little trap and he sets up his camera, following her as she explains to him all the names of her stuffed toys and dolls. I try not to laugh; this will keep her occupied for a little bit while the other cameraman gets some smaller cameras ready to follow me in the woods.

Haymitch decides to stay with Ari, as he is wrapped around her little finger as well. I can hear him playing along as she sets up her play set for tea time. I carefully walk downstairs, listening to Peeta telling the other cameraman what to expect while he's in the woods with me.

"Whatever you do, don't get in her way, stay behind her and try not to talk to her." I hear him order and smile. He knows that I don't like anyone really going into the woods with me, Ari and himself being the exception.

When I round the corner to the kitchen, Peeta is standing by the sink, rinsing some strawberries off and putting them into a small bag. I know he's making sure I have a snack for when I'm out in the woods. The cameraman stands up from where he was sitting at the table.

"Hi, Mrs. Mellark, I'm Castor, I'll be following you while my brother, Pollux stays with your husband and daughter. I'm sure you noticed that he hasn't spoken at all?" He says all in a rush, wiping down a camera lens.

I nod, "He's an Avox, isn't he? That'll be good, as Ari is already talking nonstop to him. I'm sure Haymitch has already figured it out as well."

"Yes, he is an Avox and that's why I usually send him in with children. They like to talk and even though he can't, they always manage to get along just fine." He replies with a smile. "So, your husband has already given me a rundown on rules of following you."

"Yes, it's more for your protection than mine." I say to him, smiling right back and going to the refrigerator to pull out some iced tea. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes, I just want to fill my canteen and use the bathroom. Is it just you or is anyone else coming with us?"

"No, although the President did mention something about a medic? Was she serious?" He asks me.

I laugh and shake my head. "Not for real, just stay out of my way and you won't get hurt. I am pregnant though, so the hormones are unpredictable." I see Peeta nodding his head out of the corner of my eye and throw a dishrag at him. He catches it and laughs at me, throwing it in the sink.

"Yeah, be careful, Castor, she has the best aim I've ever seen." Peeta warns and runs out of the room up the stairs before I can throw something else at him. He may be the father of my children, but we are still kids ourselves sometimes.

I retrieve my bag and canteen, set them outside on the porch while Castor settles his cameras just so. I use the bathroom and call up the stairs, "I'll see you all later! Hopefully I'll catch dinner."

When I heave set my quiver of arrows and bow over my shoulders, Castor gives me a look that he now will take me seriously. I have my hair back as usual and since my regular hunting pants don't fit, I have a pair of Peeta's pants on. They are much more comfortable and I will hopefully be able to use them for a few more weeks before I have to get new ones. Luckily my boots are so worn that they fit me all the way through to Ari's birth.

Luckily, Castor says nothing to me as I show him through the woods and he has a very quiet footfall considering all that he is carrying. Once we are actually in the woods, I fit my bow with an arrow and hold it down by my side. I stop and listen for a moment. It's already later than I normally hunt, but there should be plenty of game about as they need to scamper and feed as well. The birds are very noisy today and not helping me focus on what could be on the ground. The one bad thing about being pregnant is I can't seem to focus on much for long periods of time. I noticed it with Ari, but since I was in 13 for most of it, I wasn't hunting.

All of a sudden, a gaggle of wild turkeys come bounding out from behind some bushes and I take aim. I hit one right in the chest and it keeps trying to run, tripping over itself. The rest of the turkeys scatter and I let them disappear among the bushes. I just need one and it will feed everyone who is with us today and more. I put my bow over my shoulder and pull out my knife. Forgetting that Castor is behind me, I go to the turkey and cut its neck in one swift movement. I hear his breath intake and know that he has never seen anyone kill anything before.

"You can talk now, Castor. I have what I came for." I tell him, looking behind me. He has the camera trained on me and has a slight frown on his face. I hope he doesn't throw up since I plan on yanking out the feathers while we're out here. I don't like to do it at home anymore since Ari is so curious and I don't think she needs to see it yet. "Are you okay? Because it's going to get a little worse while I pluck this guy."

He swifts his head from behind the camera and just nods at me slowly. "It's my job, I'm fine. I've seen worse."

Since there's no need to be quiet anymore, I decide to keep going. "Really? Like what?"

"Fighting, fires, gunfire. You name it; I saw it and got most all of it on camera." He mentions as if it is something that people come across everyday.

"So, you probably got video of the rebellion?" I ask quietly while I pluck the turkey.

He moves his head away from the camera again and nods. "I got the bombing that you were in if that's what you're asking."

I gasp; no, that wasn't what I was asking, not directly anyway, not intentionally. I have been doing well without thinking of Prim in such a horrific way. Ari has kept me so busy and she only reminds me of the funny little things Prim would do as a child herself. Especially when she talks to her stuffed animals as if they are holding a real conversation with her.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make it sound so….I didn't mean to sound cruel." Castor apologizes.

I shake my head and keep to plucking, trying to keep my tears at bay which is hard to do when your hormones are out of whack to begin with. He doesn't talk anymore and the silence begins to get annoying. "Aren't there any questions or anything you have for me? I know you're supposed to be following us in our everyday life, but this is just dumb!"

"Are there questions I should be asking?" He responds, not in least bit offended by my tone.

"I don't know. I'm doing what I normally do, with the exception that some guy is following me." I say, looking at him with an annoyed expression. "I don't know why I let her talk me into this. You both should have just stayed with Peeta and Ari, they're much nicer to people."

"Why do you say that?" He asks coolly.

I continue plucking, this bird is big. "Didn't you ever notice how I always let Peeta do the talking when we were together on camera? Didn't you watch how I'm much better at actions, not words, even when he had been captured by that snake Snow? I mean, hello! I killed the first new President and that had nothing to do with me speaking! He's the talker to people, whether in small groups or whole audiences and luckily Ari is like that too."

"So, you don't like talking to people at all?" I know what he's doing, he's finally getting me to talk, which is fine.

"Not like Peeta does. He grew up knowing how to talk to strangers; his family owned the only bakery in town. I grew up in the Seam, talked to people in the Seam, and did business with people who are from the Seam."

"But what about the place that they called the Hob?"

"That was a lot of people who were from the Seam too. We had to find ways to make money, trade things for food. Town people didn't come in there much unless they needed something specific. I never remember seeing Peeta in there not once. Maybe his father for a few spices, but that's it." I continue, plucking away the feathers and my frustration.

"So, you don't like people because of the way you grew up? I had heard your sister liked almost everyone she met." He says and I glare at him. "I met her once, she was a sweet girl and it's a shame what happened, but it still happened! Nothing you could have done would have changed that."

I look back down at the bird, then at my hands. They're getting a little sore and I still have a little less then half way to go. "Yes, she was nice to everyone she met. Prim could do no harm, even if she tried. She always felt guilty if she tried to lie to mother and would end up telling her the truth within an hour. If she had gotten reaped, well, if I hadn't volunteered for her, she would have died anyway. I couldn't let that happen and she still died!"

My tears start to flow freely now. I hadn't wanted to think about her, it had been so long and we were doing fine without her ghost invading my memories. I put my face in the crook of my arm; I can't touch it with my hands. I hear Castor come closer and hear him set down the camera. He gently touches my back.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry, but to be honest, people want to hear about how you feel about it. About the rebellion and your sister's death. They know you survived after being through so much and while pregnant too? You are a mystery to a lot of people. Snow could only show them what was done in the Games, not how you lived your life after."

He's right, I know he is. I wipe my nose on my sleeve and continue plucking. Sniffling, I tell him, "No more talk about Prim then. You can ask about our lives now, maybe what happened during the Games, but that's it."

"Yes, ma'am." And he picks up his camera while I finish plucking the turkey.


	24. Chapter 24

When we get back to the house, I hang the turkey in our hunting shed and go in to scrub my hands and arms. Castor washes his hands afterward, I'm guessing just to be polite. I make my way slowly up the stairs, making sure that Ari isn't disrupted by my being home so soon. Even I had expected to be gone longer. I hear voices from her room, she, Haymitch, and Peeta are still having tea. I peek my head in and smile.

Haymitch and Peeta look absolutely ridiculous sitting in the tiny child-size wooden purple chairs, their knees propped up awkwardly. They look like giants compared to Ari, who decided to wear a yellow frilly dress just for the cameramen and made sure that I had her hair down, curls flowing freely. She just keeps going on doing her business, making sure everyone has enough cookies and tea, she is nothing if not the cutest hostess in the world. When she looks up and spots me in the doorway, she smiles.

"Mommy!" She runs to me, her arms wide open. I swing her up into my arms and give her a big hug.

I hear Haymitch mutter, and stretch his legs out in front of him. "Thank God, I wasn't sure how much more tea and cookies I could handle."

Peeta stretches, flexing the leg with the prosthetic, a smile on his face. He stands up and comes up to Ari and me, putting his arm around both of us. "So, did you get anything?"

"A huge turkey! A whole bunch of them came running out and I got one." I inform him, letting a wiggling Ari down to go back to her toys. "I plucked it, but haven't cut it up yet. My hands are pretty sore."

Peeta nods and takes my hands in his, rubbing them, and stretching my fingers. I lean against him, resting my head on his chest, just watching our hands. Haymitch comes up behind Peeta and slaps him on the shoulder. "Well, I'm going to take off; I'm pretty tired of air tea."

I giggle, turning my head towards him, but still resting on Peeta's chest. "We'll see you tonight for dinner?"

"Wild turkey?" He asks and I nod. "Yep, I'll be back here then."

He squeezes himself past us, as we haven't moved from the doorway yet. I lift my head off of Peeta's chest and look up into his ocean blue eyes.

"Maybe you should go take a nap. I'll take Ari and the cameramen to the bakery and we can stay there for a little while." He suggests, rubbing my arms. I am a little tired; plucking a turkey is no joke. I nod and head for the room.

"Can you cut up the turkey though before you leave?" I ask, turning back to him.

"Of course. Shouldn't take that long anyway since you already plucked it and probably cut the head off, huh?" He replies, coming out into the hallway so that Pollux and Ari can go downstairs. Once they're out of earshot, Peeta says, "I think Ari really likes Pollux. She couldn't stop telling him all about the dolls that Effie has been sending her and how they like their tea. Plus, I think she showed him every single dress she has in that closet."

"Aww, her first crush and it's on a man who can't talk back to her." I tell him, putting my hand over my heart and making it look like its fluttering.

Peeta gets a look of shock on his face. "But she's only a year and a half! She can't have her first crush, not yet!"

I can't help but laugh at him as I walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his middle. "Peeta, calm down, she may not even remember him in a few months anyway. They'll be here a couple of days and she'll have made a new friend out of it. Like you said, she's only a year and a half. I think you have a few years before you really have to start worrying."

He looks down at me, sheer horror on his face as he considers this. "A few years? That's it?"

I get on my tiptoes and give him a quick kiss on the lips. "Just remember, you were only six when you claimed to have fallen in love with me. I'd say a crush is much easier to deal with."

A cute blush comes over his cheeks and I hug him closer to me and our second baby. "Yeah, I guess I was pretty young when I fell for you. Good thing you didn't notice back, huh?"

"Depends on how you look at it I suppose." I lay my head against his chest. "This seems to have worked for us though."

I feel his lips on the top of my head. "Yeah, it has. I better get downstairs to our boy crazy daughter. Have a good nap, Baby."

I scrunch my nose at him as he leans down and kisses my belly and then gives me a deep kiss. I turn away, heading to our room, feeling the baby kick at his or her father's touch on me. He doesn't understand the effect he has, never has understood it.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N - So sorry everyone. I've been busy with my other story, trying to find a way back into the mindset for this one. It's hard seeing as they are nothing alike! As always, thank you to Ms. Collins for such a wonderful story and great characters!**

Castor and Pollux follow us for four days, making it seem unending for me, while Ari is the exact opposite and enjoying every second of it. By now, Pollux has met all of her dolls and stuffed toys, seen all of her prettier dresses, and has even had a dance with our darling daughter. She insisted as much as a toddler could when we turned on some music one night.

After dinner on the third night that the cameramen were with us, Peeta had turned on the radio and found some good music to listen to. It had a catchy beat to it and Ari started bouncing around to it. She went straight to Pollux, pulling on his hand until he stood up. She continued to bounce and Castor told him,

"I think she wants you to dance with her." He was trying hard to suppress his laughter, while I couldn't control my giggles at all.

Peeta had a tense smile; I could tell he wasn't too thrilled that Ari was so infatuated with Pollux. Even after our little talk, he wouldn't leave them alone for a second, though Ari was more likely to talk Pollux's ear off than anything else. Haymitch even tried to talk to him, convince him that Ari wouldn't remember him this time next year. Pollux looked at each of us, trying to figure out some way to get out of dancing. He had no way of telling Ari that it would be embarrassing, even as his face turned beet red.

"Ari, I don't think Pollux wants to dance," I finally said and Pollux let out a deep breath, nodding his head.

"Yahuh, Mommy, he like me dance." She rambled, grabbing his hand again and swaying them.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I tried."

Pollux nodded and swayed his arms with Ari giggling happily. We just let the song finish out and then Peeta turned it off. Ari whined and Pollux sat down quickly. Unfortunately for him, Castor managed to get it all on video. Pollux tried to get the small hidden camera away from him, unsuccessfully.

The next day, the men took their leave while Ari took a nap. We all figured it'd be better if she wasn't awake, less chance of a tantrum that way. It did not however make it any easier trying to explain to her why they left and that it wasn't her fault. She cried and screamed for a half hour before Peeta bribed her with cupcakes. She only asked about Pollux two more times in the next three days.

Our lives went on as it always did, baking, hunting, tea parties with dollies, and dinner with Uncle 'Itch'. A week later, I got a phone call from the president's secretary, Dina, telling us that the video was almost ready and we would get to view it before everyone else in Panem saw it. President Tess wanted to come back and watch it with us. Gale would be with her again, as well as her full entourage. Even Effie and Johanna were informed and would be staying with Haymitch.

Two weeks later, the President's crew was getting the house next to us ready for her arrival again. There was to be a big gathering at her house to celebrate the video of us. From what I had heard, she had done an introduction at the beginning. I really had no interest in watching it, they followed us, I know what happens.

We met Tess at the train station this time and she had Castor and Pollux with her. We couldn't contain Ari before she ran straight for him. He smiled and lifted her in the air, while Peeta sulked away. He was just going to have to learn how to deal somehow because talking was doing nothing. After quick hugs and greetings, we all walked to Victor's Village and into the house she was staying in. Gale and three other men went in first, to check everything out even though there were a bunch of people who hadn't left the house all day in preparation.

"I'm so glad that this was done so quickly, Katniss! Thank you for letting us do this!" Tess said for the hundredth time.

For the hundredth time, I answered her, "Not a problem, Tess. Now maybe people will stop being so curious about us and get on with it."

I was annoyed, hormones out of control and cranky because I couldn't do anything about it. I tried to paste on a smile, which Johanna and Peeta saw right through. Effie was as clueless as always and Haymitch ignored it. Once we are all sitting in the living room, chairs scattered so everyone can sit down and have refreshments and snacks, the video begins. Yes, Tess did an introduction, a nice one saying how thankful all the people of Panem were that we allowed them a glimpse into our life now. I didn't think that everyone in Panem would agree to that, I certainly couldn't have cared about two victors' lives after the Games.

An hour and a half later, Castor and Pollux were receiving their compliments with smiles on their faces. A lot of the movie ended up being centered on Ari, which I wasn't sure I liked. Now everyone in Panem knew what our daughter looked like and that scared me after what had happened a few months ago. I voiced my concern with Tess and Castor after people started to head outside for some fresh air. Gale stays behind; I'm sure because he's guarding Tess.

"She's an adorable little girl, Katniss, you should be proud of how well she comes off in the video." Tess tried to reassure me.

"I am and that's not the point. I want it redone with a little less of Ari. This should be a version for only friends and family, not strangers. They don't need to know the details of her life so well. We didn't get much of a choice before when we were taped; I want to protect her in whatever way I can." I look at both of them, trying to get across what I'm saying to them.

Castor yields first, "Okay, I do have another version, you can watch it tomorrow if you like. No one else even needs to know if you change your mind."

Tess opens her mouth to say something but thinks better of it. "Fine. Katniss, you can choose whichever one you want. I'm going to go outside."

She walks out with Gale giving me an 'I'm sorry' look and follows her out. Castor looks at me. "I told her you wouldn't like it."

"What? She saw it before we did?" I ask the cameraman.

He shrugs his shoulders, "She told me that as soon as it was done, she wanted to see it. She is the president, so I had to let her. She just got such a kick out of watching Arianna with Pollux that I don't think she thought about what other people might see."

I nod, "I see. Well, thank you for letting me choose. I'm going to find my husband and daughter."

The next morning, Castor comes over as promised and shows me the other video. This one captures our first outing hunting when we talked about Prim. Yes, it's sadder, but I think this version is a much truer version of our life as we live it now. Castor knows this before the end even comes and with a smile thanks me.

"I think this one is more about all of you. Plus, we have Haymitch in it; he sure has taken on the role of being her uncle well, hasn't he?"

I laugh, "I don't think he was given much of a choice."

"Does anyone when Arianna is concerned?" He asks me honestly.

"Probably not."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N- Forgive my slowness at finishing this story. It's really hard to get back into family mode when my other stories have been anything but. **

Holding my wiggling baby boy in my arms, I call out to Arianna.

"Ari! Come in and wash your hands please! Bring your dolls in too!" I remind her as I turn back into the house. Peeta is just finishing setting the table and Johanna is pouring the wine. Haymitch and Effie are nagging each other about who Noah looks more like when I come in, while my mother is laughing at them both.

Haymitch points to me and says, "See? He looks just like her! Even the eyes!"

"But he has Peeta's features too." Effie remarks, holding her manicured hands out for him. Noah puts his chubby little arms out as well and I hand him over. He may only be ten months old, but he has his favorite people already. I think it's her always colorful hair, but I won't tell her that.

I kiss Peeta on the cheek before checking to see Ari's progress. She has brought someone other than her toys back in, as Castor and Pollux have arrived just in time for dinner. I smile at them, giving them hugs on their way in. "Hi, guys! I'm so glad you could make it out."

Ari has a tight hold on Pollux's hand and when I tell her again to wash her hands, she reluctantly lets go. "I'll be right back, sit right by me." She orders him.

Poor Pollux, no choice in the matter of being Ari's first crush. Peeta shakes his head and I roll my eyes. We all take our seats once Ari is done and Noah is in his hand-me-down high chair. Peeta carves the turkey I caught early this morning and we all pass around our plates for a piece. Our family of four has become so much bigger with our friends surrounding us.

Every once in awhile, I pull out the notebook that Peeta had drawn his memories in after he was rescued from the Capitol and thank my lucky stars that he was returned to me. And I'm always grateful that he remembered.

The End


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